Fate Always Has Other Plans
by fallen-something
Summary: The tango that Castle and Beckett are in get a little more complicated. They're not ready to admit to each other how they really feel so they find distractions in other people. But fate has other plans for them. Set in season 3.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE **

**A/N: I haven't been able to stop reading Castle fanfiction so I thought I'd give it a go.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it!**

It was nine o' clock on a Saturday night and the rain was pouring hard. Detective Kate Beckett was in the unfortunate situation of being soaking wet and cab-less. Not to mention the case file she intended to bring home for her to go over was now drenched, the water smeared the ink and rendered it illegible. The night was dark and the road empty except for the few cars that would pass by and the even fewer taxis that were all occupied that zoomed past. She already had half a mind to just start walking home. Just then, the beaming flash of headlights of a slowing car caught her attention. It kept decelerating till it made a complete stop in front of her. The rain made it hard to tell who was driving, and the cop in her made it a point to check that her gun was in place just in case. The driver leaned forward and opened the door to the passenger seat.

"Get in!" Rick Castle's familiar voice managed to be heard over the pounding of the rain and the start of crackling thunder.

Now Kate Beckett was not woman who ever believed she needed saving, but given the situation, she got into the car without hesitation. Before she even settled herself, she could feel the smirk forming on Castle's face.

"Kate Beckett, a damsel in distress, I never thought I'd see the day." He said sounding every pleased with himself.

"Because you got me out of the rain, I'll let that comment slide, Castle." She returned.

"Where to, my lady?"

She rolled her eyes at his corny impersonation of a medieval knight. "To my apartment, please." Castle nodded and started to drive. He was about to say something when Beckett cut him off, "Hang on, just let me make a quick call." Castle turned his eyes back to the road. She had her phone to her ear when she added, "Oh and hey," getting his attention once more, "Thanks."

He smiled, "No problem, and whenever—" He was cut off again when she raised her finger to indicate someone was already on the line.

"Josh, hey! I don't think I can meet you tonight with the rain and all. I'm already soaking wet."

Castle couldn't help make a mocking face when he heard the doctor's name. Luckily, Beckett didn't notice.

"No, I'll be fine. I've already got a ride." Castle could hear the mumble of Josh's chatter. "With who?" Beckett said over the phone. She looked at Castle and bit her lower lip, "Uh, I'm in a cab." Rick raised his eyebrow at her lie not knowing whether lying about being with him was a good thing or a bad thing. "Yep, I'll see you tomorrow then. Okay, bye." Kate finally said before she hung up.

"Lying to your boyfriend about me? Now, it makes a man wonder Detective, why is that?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It was just a white lie. He gets..." she paused, trying to find the right word.

"Jealous?" Castle offered in a victorious tone.

"Iffy. About guys like you." She finished.

"Guys like me, meaning successful novelist bachelors who have a keen ability for solving murder cases?" he replied half-jokingly.

"He thinks you're a flirt."

"Of course he does."

"Can you blame him?"

"Can you blame me? Flirting is unavoidable when I'm around a woman like you." He smiled.

She blushed while being very thankful it was dark and he couldn't see.

"What were you doing back at the precinct, anyway?" she asked in hopes to change the subject.

"My spidy- Beckett is in trouble- senses were tingling." When she doesn't answer, he adds,  
"I was actually hoping to catch you, and I'm glad I did. I think I've found the connection between our victims. I've got the case file right here and I was hoping to show you"

"How? I've the case file with me, well, had. It's too soft and smudgy to be salvaged now."

"It's like you don't know me at all! I secretly made a copy."

"For once, I'm thankful that you can't keep your hands to yourself."

"Oh?" he chimed in with a devious grin plastered over his face.

"Not in that way, Castle." But she can't help but smile as well. She notices the street corner of her apartment building and tells Castle to pull up in front of it. She gets out of the car and leans over to face him, "Well, aren't you coming in? I thought you had something to show me."

"Perfect time to test that hands to myself theory you've got going."

She ignores his comment and simply says, "Let's go, Castle."

**A/N: If you like where this is going then please review :) I promise to get Josh out of the picture, I am a die hard Castle/Beckett fan**


	2. Chapter 2

**I appreciate the reviews, friends :D Makes the creative juices flow! Hmm. This chapter is just a drabble, really. It may seem plot-less at the moment, but I promise you'll be seeing conflict in the next one.  
**

**Oh! and to answer your question BeckettNYPD, Yes, this will probably turn into a T-rating later on.**

Chapter 2

Castle had to park across the street from the apartment building. He ran desperately for the door with his hands above his head which didn't help at all to shield him from the rain. Beckett, who had found out that the only thing worse than wet clothes, are wet clothes drying while you still have them on, was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She watched Castle's vain attempt to flee from the rain in amusement. When he was getting close, he waved his hands frantically, urging her to get the door, "Hurry! Hurry!" He yelped.

"You're such a baby." She teased as they got into the elevator.

"Hey! I could get a fever from that," he said defensively.

"And again, you're such a baby." Beckett chuckled.

"You know, 72% of people find making out in elevators a very sensual experience."

Kate looks at Castle is disbelief and shakes her head, "You just made that up."

"Perhaps, but we could start a study! We'll be the first test subjects! Alexis can help. She does those things all the time for school. Oh, she says hi by the way"

The elevator door opened and Beckett walked toward her door with Castle right behind her.

"To this day, it amazes me how you raised someone like Alexis," she joked. "Are you sure she's yours?"

"Hey..." Castle stopped in his step, "that's not funny."

Beckett thinks Castle is a lot of things, but she will always admire how great of a dad he is. She stops too and turns to him, "I'm only joking, Castle."

Castle still has a serious face on but Beckett couldn't help but go on, "Your humanity only ever shows when you're talking about you daughter," she teased further. His face is as stern as ever. "Oh come 'on Castle, I was kidding." she touched his hand briefly to reassure him.

A smile played over his lips. "I knew it! You only did that so you'd have a reason to hold my hand." He continued to walk.

Beckett rolled her eyes, "Now there's the Castle I know."

Beckett opened her apartment to reveal an almost empty room.

"Beckett, I think you were robbed."

"Very funny. It's not my fault that psycho blew up all my furniture."

Kate took off her coat as she is reminded of the uncomfortable dampness on her skin. "So listen, I'm going to take a shower first and then we'll go over the case." She glanced at the time. It was a quarter to 10.

"Oooh! Can I come?" Castle said, suddenly excited.

"What do you think?"

"It's research. And if it makes you uncomfortable, you could always wear a swimsuit in a shower!"

"That's right, a scene about Nikki taking a shower in a swimsuit while Rook watches is just the right spice for the new book!" Beckett said sarcastically.

"I plan to write a whole chapter of it in fact!"

"I'm going now, Castle" Beckett replied as she retreated into her bathroom.

Castle looked around, there was no couch yet so he settled for one of the two chairs in the kitchen. Being the 6-year old boy on a sugar rush that he is, he couldn't stay put for very long. After spending a few minutes staring into the light of Beckett's fridge and taking in the cold, he turned his attention to her bedroom door. As the idea flashed in his head, he took a quick peek toward the bathroom. By the humming that he heard, he assumed Beckett would take a while.

He started toward her bedroom which was also very bare. A queen-sized bed and a cabinet were the only inhabitants in the room. There was an old looking rug in the center that made the room look even smaller. Castle mused at the pile of papers disarranged on Kate's bed. They were mini versions of the murder boards they had at the precinct. He reviewed the papers and noticed they were all the old cases that had gone cold. Kate Beckett never stopped impressing him. Now here was a woman who had a very personal cold case of her own, and yet, she still spent her time hoping to bring closure to families she didn't even know. The next object of his curiosity was the only other thing in the room. A light bulb went off in his head. Beckett's clothes. Beckett's underwear? That was too perverted even for him, but he couldn't help but laugh at himself for thinking it. He debated his options—and decided that a peek wouldn't hurt. What Beckett doesn't know, won't hurt her. He slowly reached for the handle.

"Castle! What the hell do you think you're doing?" came Kate's voice from behind him making him jump.

He stammered for a moment in embarrassment. Without looking back, he finally said, "I… I… I was admiring the wood work."

"Wait in the living room Castle, I have to change."

He turned to her and was stunned at the sight of her. "That's okay, I can stay." He joked, unable to wipe the smile off his face, let alone take his eyes off Kate who was dressed in nothing but a towel.

"Wow. Don't hurt yourself staring." She stopped herself from smiling because the way he looked at her was so flattering.

"Give me a minute. I'm taking mental photographs." He half-joked.

"Go Castle!" This time she couldn't help but smile. He looked like a puppy whose favorite chew toy was taken away.

"You win this time, Detective," He said before disappearing into the living room.

She had left her bag in the living room so Castle heard her phone ring. He peeked at the name that flashed on the screen. Josh. Damn him.

He sighed. "Beckett?" he called reluctantly.

She didn't answer him. But her phone was still ringing.

"Beckett?" He tried once more.

Her bedroom door opened slightly, and she poked her head out. "Yeah?"

He pointed to her cell. "Your boyfriend's calling."

She showed the same look on her face she had when she lied to Josh about being in the car with him. "Let it go to voice mail." She finally decided. Castle was more than happy to oblige to her request.

Kate emerged from her room a few minutes later in a big t-shirt and old pajamas. Her towel was now twirled in her hair. She was surprised to find Castle seated and behaved in the kitchen. He was engrossed in the case file.

"So that connection you were talking about?" she said breaking him out of his trance.

"Yeah. Look here." He said without looking up from the case file. When she arrived by his side he glanced over at her. "Sexy even in a big t-shirt."

Beckett rolled her eyes.

"Right, back to the case!" He said.

She pulled the other chair right beside his and sat down. Their shoulders were touching. He smiled at her before delving into explanations.

**A/N your continued support will bring me much joy. please review :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Many thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites! :D **

**Elysion1870, I'll answer your question in this chapter. :)  
**

Chapter 3

"Esposito and Ryan offered to pick up the suspect in the morning. Then we'll go in to interrogate him at around 9-ish?"

Beckett was leaning against the door frame finalizing their plans for tomorrow. Castle nodded away. "You better get home. Martha and Alexis will start to worry." She added.

"They're probably already asleep. I left Alexis a text that I'd be home late."

"Oh, alright. So, I'll see tomorrow?"

"No kiss good bye?" Castle made a ridiculous puckered lips face.

"I don't kiss on the first date." Beckett joked.

"This is at least our 400th date!"

Beckett shook her head but had a smile on her face she failed to suppress despite her best efforts. "Bye, Castle."

"Fine, no kiss. But I noticed your cupboards were empty. I was thinking I could come by around 8, if you'd like. Bring you pancakes with your coffee."

"Oh." Beckett frowned. "That's sweet. But Josh left me a message saying he wanted to see me tomorrow morning right before his rounds."

"'Oh yeah. Of course. How silly of me."

Beckett noticed the momentary downcast of his eyes and felt a twinge in her heart. "But hey! Lunch at Remy's?" she paused before saying the next part, unsure of how it would sound, but she said it anyway. "Just you and me."

"Terrific!" That was enough to put the light back in his eyes. That kind of reaction was enough to warm her heart. "Until tomorrow then, Detective?" Castle put back on a phony sounding English accent, "I bid you good night!"

Beckett let out a little laugh. "Good night, Castle. Be careful on the way home." With that, he turned and walked toward the elevator and she shut the door.

It was close to midnight when she checked the time. She wondered where the time had gone. She and Castle wrapped up all their homicide business in about 5 minutes. She guessed they just got started talking about other things and enjoying each other's company. She didn't notice it, and even if she did, she probably wouldn't admit it, but it was that thought that kept the smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep.

On Castle's side of the world, he whistled happy tunes the whole drive home. Martha and Alexis were both asleep when he got there. He crept noiselessly into his study and turned on his laptop. He was suddenly gripped by a writing frenzy. At 2 in the morning, Alexis came down to get a glass of water.

"Hello daughter." He greeted.

"Hello father." Alexis returned. "How was dinner with Gina?"

"Gina?"

"Yeah, she called earlier to ask where you were. I told her you already left. I assumed you were on your way to meet her."

Caste's hand flew to his mouth and was slowly pulled down. "I completely forgot! She's going to kill me."

"That, she will. If you weren't with her, where were you?"

"At Beckett's"

"Ooooh." Alexis teased. "You're gonna have to pick one or the other dad."

"There's nothing going on with me and Beckett."

Alexis could swear he almost sounded sad. "Whatever you say, dad. Don't stay up too late. I'm going back to bed." She kissed her dad on the cheek good night and made her way back upstairs.

Castle kept writing till almost 4 in the morning. He was shocked when he checked the time and decided to turn in. After all, getting a confession out of a cold–hearted madman wasn't easy work, and he would need his energy. And of course, he didn't want to be sour company for Becket at their lunch date tomorrow because he didn't get enough sleep.

The next morning at a quarter to 9, Castle arrived at the precinct. He was greeted by Ryan and Esposito who told him that the suspect was waiting in the interrogation room.

"Where's Beckett?" He asked.

"Right here," she called from behind. "Let's go get us a confession," she added as walked passed him.

Good cop, bad cop wasn't Beckett and Castle's style. It was more like two intelligent cops who finished each other's sentences. Except one of them was actually a writer. But that dynamic seemed to work pretty well. The pair took only 10 minutes to sweat it out of their current suspect. The two exited the room with smug faces as they had their confession, signed and sealed for the jury, in hand.

"I really liked your 'I don't have time for games' line. Very intimidating." Castle complimented.

"You think so? I was going for a tough but 'I'm still on your side' type thing."

"That always works on the soft ones!"

"Yeah, they crack like eggs. Although I don't like the fact that murderers get to cut deals, at least we get a nice clean confession."

"Another day, another case closed. Castle and Beckett, she's armed and he's dangerous."

"No way! It's Beckett first and then Castle."

It was normal for them to be this playful with each other. It was no wonder everyone at the precinct had put down bets as to when the pair would get together. It was the ease of their partnership, the mutual understanding that passed between them even when no words were said, their constant back-and-forth little pranks and teases and the shared need to give each other a hard time because it was just funnier that way. They continued to chatter on oblivious of anyone else but each other till they reached Ryan and Esposito's desks. They were ready to brag about their achievement.

The smiles on their faces quickly faded when they saw the grim looks on the other detective duo's faces.

"What's wrong?" Beckett asked.

"Beckett, I'm so sorry." Ryan began. "Your phone rang when you were getting your confession so I answered it for you."

Neither Beckett nor Castle liked where this was going or liked the way Ryan sounded.

Ryan cleared his throat, "It's your dad. He had a cardiac arrest. A neighbour was checking in just in time to witness it happen and called 911. They're taking him to New York Presbyterian now"

Beckett's balance failed her all of a sudden. "What?" she asked in disbelief. But the lump in her throat was proof enough of what she initially heard.

Castle's arm instinctively found its way around her and pulled her closer. She didn't even notice with the shock of the news she just received. It took her a minute to process everything. "I better... Uhm. Can you tell the chief that I...I have to..." It was difficult for her to form complete sentences.

"Yeah, go ahead." Esposito answered.

"I'll take you. You're in no condition to be driving right now," Castle quickly offered. Beckett weakly nodded.

As they approached her car, he ran up ahead to get the door for her. She half smiled to thank him as she got inside. "Do you know where it is?" She asked as she handed him the keys.

"Yeah."

There was silence after that for the duration of the trip. Castle decided it was best to be quiet and leave Beckett to her thoughts. They heard an ambulance siren as they pulled up near the emergency room entrance. They arrived just in time for Beckett to see a man being pulled out of the ambulance. Beckett looked on expectantly, but it wasn't her father. She looked so confused, unable to piece the whole situation together.

"He's probably already inside," Castle said when he noticed the perplexed expression on her face. Her dad was the only family Beckett had left. He completely understood why the level-headed Kate Beckett looked so incredibly lost. He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay. Go. I'll park your car and look for you inside." He knew it was stupid to say something like that. There was a greater chance that Beckett's dad had already been pronounced dead than everything magically being okay. Giving her false hope probably wasn't the best idea, but from the look on her face, a comforting lie was what she needed.

"Okay, thank you." Beckett finally said and got out of the car. She stopped a moment. She was almost afraid to go in, fearing the news waiting on the other side of those doors. She turned back to Castle. He mouthed, "Go," and she did.

Castle was driving as fast as he could. Turning so abruptly to get in the closest parking space, that the wheels squeaked. He was thinking of the worst case scenario and he'd be damned if he let her face that alone. He made a run for the door and scanned the crowd for Beckett as soon as he got inside. He arrived just in time to see her turn the corner at the end of the hall. He strode through the crowd muttering a number of excuse me's and pardon me's . When he turned the corner, his heart sank at what he saw.

Beckett's face was buried in Josh's shoulder as he held her.

Castle found that he wasn't needed.

**A/N: OKAY! Don't hate me for Josh. You know how I said I'd get rid of him? Teehee... I kind of found him to be very useful in my plot. Don't worry though, as promised, fate will bring our favorite pair together. But love isn't love if it doesn't triumph over a handsome and charming cardiac surgeon's advances :P **

**please review! as much as I appreciate the story alerts, I really want to get your opinion on it too. Also, you'll be happy to know that I've already written the ending. I'm looking for a way to tie it all together nicely. So there'll be a couple of chapters in between. So you better keep reading!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this took longer to put up but it's also way longer than the previous chaps. :D Thanks for the reviews, guys! Oh, and I hope this chapter doesn't get confusing, I keep changing POV's **

Chapter 4

This was no time to let personal issues get in the way. After taking a moment to mock Josh on silly things like the stain on his coat and how sloppily his stethoscope hung over his shoulder, Castle made his way over to them. He admitted to himself that he was, in fact, jealous. He remembered Demming and how jealous he was that time too. But as to what that jealousy meant with regard to his feelings for Beckett, he wasn't sure. He had a pretty good idea though. He knew he was a flirt and that he'd go overboard at times. He would even concede that his flirting would always come close to inappropriate, and sometimes even cross the line. He knew that beautiful women were a weakness of his. As he was reminded of that, he also came to realize just how beautiful he thought Kate was. Now he was second guessing whether all his jokes about romantic advances toward her were really only jokes. He'd admit that he's very fond of her and that he really cared about her. But to like her in a non-platonic way, or even dare to think that he was in love with her. It was crazy to think! And even crazier would be what could happen if ever it didn't work out or even if they actually had a shot together in the first place. He thought of how he'd been acting around her lately—He had definitely amped up his so-called "playful" flirting. But he always thought that they'd always just be friends. He figured that there was nothing wrong with it because they would never be more than that anyway, so a little— okay, a lot of flirting was harmless.

These thoughts swirled all over his head in the short 30 paces it took him to reach Josh and Kate. All his speculations were confirmed the second he cleared his throat to get their attention and she looked up at him looking flushed from crying. He was overpowered by the urge to pull her into a tight hug, to wipe the tears off her eyes, and to kiss her quivering lips. But most of all, he wanted to punch Josh in the face because he was the bastard who could do all those things, and not him. He was in love with Kate Beckett, that much, he was certain. And something told him that he had been, for a very long time.

Kate backed away from Josh and turned to Castle. "Hey."

"Hey. What's the situation? Is your dad okay?"

Before Beckett could answer, Josh closed the space she had just put between them and put his arm around her. He turned to Castle and answered for Kate "He's in recovery. I managed to bring him back." There was a split second that he smugly pursed his lips. "His condition is critical so we're going to keep him here for observation."

Did Josh really just passive-aggressively just tell him to back off and on top of that brag about his skill as a doctor? Castle was furious. He wanted to punch the guy in the face even more. But he didn't. He wasn't going to because Kate was going through enough. And as much as he hated to admit it, the guy did save Beckett's dad's life. He then cursed himself for talking himself out of it. He suppressed his annoyance and merely nodded. He looked at Beckett, "What about you? You okay?"

She exhaled. "It's better news than the one I had played out in my mind. I was just a little overwhelmed a minute ago. I was terrified and confused then a second later, suddenly so thankful and relieved. It got the better of me," she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "but I'm okay."

Castle was about to speak when Josh interrupted, "How about I go with you to fill out those forms?"

Beckett nodded. She looked at Castle with an expression that he couldn't read. He wanted to think it meant, "Would you come along, too?" He also thought it could mean, "Thanks for coming, you can go now."

Before Castle decided on which, a nurse who was running from down the hall came to a stop in front of them. "Doctor Davidson, you're needed urgently in O.R 2"

Josh shoved his hands into his pocket for his beeper. "Damn thing is still on the fritz," he said to no one in particular and then told the nurse that he'd be up right away. He turned to Becket to apologize and threw a look at Castle right before sprinting back up the hall. In a matter of seconds, he was out of sight. Castle played hallelujah's in his head as he watched Josh leave then turned his attention to Beckett. "I'll go with you if you want."

"Yeah, please." Beckett replied, happy to have the company, "I don't think I've had a more emotionally draining 20 minutes in my life."

They started to walk. Castle checked his watch. "Wow. It's hard to believe that we were at the precinct just half an hour ago."

"Well, I'd take desks, murder boards and holding cells over hospitals any day."

They neared the nurse's station and were presented with a bunch of forms. Kate scanned the pages with her eyes.

"Let me guess, you'd rather take our kind of paperwork no matter how thick than those?"

"You have no idea."

When Beckett had signed her name onto the last form, a nurse informed them that her dad had been moved to Room 552. The pair hurried to the 5th floor and found her dad's room. They saw through the window that he was conscious. Beckett turned to Castle, but before she could say anything, he spoke up first.

"You guys should have a moment as father and daughter. I'll go. " Beckett smiled. Castle practically read her mind. She wasn't sure how to tell him to give her and her dad time because, after all, he went through the trouble bringing her there and staying with her.

She took his hand, "Thank you."

He flipped her hand over in his so that her palm was facing out. His other hand reached for her keys in his pocket and put it on her palm. "Just promise you'll call if you need anything. Anything at all."

"Promise."

He stayed a while and watched her approach her dad and give him a hug. Her dad looked just as happy to see her. Castle wondered if he'd have that kind of relationship with his dad if he ever knew him. It was funny to him that he had his mom and she had her dad.

Kate and her dad talked non-stop. He wouldn't have it when she told him it was better for him to get some rest. He joked about being able to rest plenty when he was dead. She didn't think it was very funny. When she couldn't get him to go to sleep, she updated him on every little aspect of her life. About an hour later, there came a knock on the door. Beckett was surprised to find Castle back already.

"I didn't mean to intrude. I just came to drop this off. I figured you'd be hungry. And we never got to go to Remy's, so I brought Remy's to you." He held a huge to-go bag up for her to take.

The smell of the food made her stomach grumble. She realized she hadn't eaten anything since 7 that morning.

"I didn't even notice the time. I'm starving!"

"I thought so. Here," Castle waited for Beckett to receive it, "I'm sorry if I interrupted a family moment."

Kate was about to tell Castle it was okay and that he should come in to join them when her father offered first. "Katie, where are your manners? Let the man in!" Her dad called.

Castle laughed. "I was just about to invite you in," Beckett defended as she widened the door's opening.

"Sure you were!" He said teasingly, "But really, I don't want to impose. I really just came to bring this."

"You don't know my dad, he's not going to take no for an answer. It's okay Castle, really."

Castle entered the room and set the food down on the table at the corner.

"Please tell me there's a cheeseburger in there!" Beckett said excitedly.

"Of course! A cheeseburger for you. And there's that shake you like so much in here too." Castle turned to Beckett's dad who was looking up at him from his hospital bed. "Sir, I wasn't sure what they'd allow you to eat, so I kind of brought one of everything."

"I like the way you think, uuuh." He turned to his daughter, "Well, introduce us, Katie."

"Oh. Dad, this is Rick Castle. Castle, my dad, Jim Beckett."

"It's a pleasure, Sir." Castle said politely.

"Call me Jim. I'd come and shake your hand but the nurses don't advise me to move around too much. I don't know what the big deal is, I'm breathing aren't I?"

"Dad..." Kate scolded lightly.

"You should probably just listen for the benefit of your daughter here. She was worried sick about you. I know how my daughter is when I don't listen."

"The things a man does for the love of his daughter."

"I know exactly what you mean, Jim."

The boys got into even deeper conversations about family, sports, cars and at one point, shaving cream. But somehow, no matter how far their topics went, the two would always insert some silly story about Kate. Castle would listen intently about her embarrassing childhood incidents. And her dad was happy to hear the stupid things she would do at the precinct because it meant his daughter wasn't all work and no play. Despite being the object of their amusement, Kate smiled at how easily they got along. She was happy to be left with her cheeseburger and shake.

Her ears didn't perk up till she heard her dad ask what line of work Castle was in.

"When I'm not solving you daughter's cases for her?" Castle joked and then grinned at Beckett, "I'm a writer."

"That's why! I knew I've heard your name before. I'm not much of a reader but my wife was. That's where Katie gets it."

Beckett's eyes widened. Was her dad about to reveal just how big a fan she was of Castle?

"Dad, you really should get some sleep!" Beckett could feel her cheeks heating up. Her dad didn't listen.

"I guess you know by now that Katie here is probably your number 1 fan. She couldn't put your books down after what happened. It really helped her through it. So I suppose I should thank you. Father to father, you made it a lot easier." Jim said.

Castle was happier to hear that than all of the wonderful reviews his books have ever received. He made a mental note to gloat to Beckett when this was all over. He smiled widely and said, "Now that just made my day."

Jim sighed, starting to feel the exhaustion. "It's horrible manners to leave a man in the middle of a conversation, but I think I really must get some rest," He said.

"I think that's best as well Jim. I'm certain it would relieve your daughter too."

"That's right, dad." Kate said as she put the covers over her father.

"Now, don't make me look like I can't do anything by myself!" Jim tried to protest

"It's about time I took care of you."

"Well fine, but then, do me a favor. You two get out of this stingy hospital room! You've been here long enough. I'll be asleep anyway."

"But dad—"

"No buts from you!" Jim then turned to Castle, "Richard, go get a cup of coffee with Katie, please."

"Dad..."Kate tried to object.

"You go with him Katie, that's an order. Don't let a man sleep while other people watch, it's embarrassing!"

Kate did as her father asked and she and Castle both exited the room as Jim drifted off to sleep.

"I hope what my dad said didn't go to your head, Castle." She joked as they walked to the hospital cafeteria.

Castle couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Not because of what Beckett had said, but because even if it was only a couple of hours, he missed seeing that very Kate Beckett smile on her face. And he was glad she wasn't in so much pain anymore.

"He's a really terrific guy." He said, ignoring what she said.

"I know, very energetic for a man who just had a heart attack." Her smile faded for a second, then returned, "Not that I'm complaining. He's a fighter, that one."

The cafeteria was packed but they managed to get the last empty table at the corner of the room. The chairs that were screwed to the floor were only on one side of table. Beckett sat down after Castle insisted he'd be the one to get their coffee. She took a deep breath, taking in all that had happened that day. She watched Castle as he approached holding two cups of coffee.

When he was near enough, she spoke up. "Thanks again for today. It meant a lot." Beckett began.

Castle set down the cups on the table and sat down beside her.

"I may not look like it, but you can always count on me."

Beckett smiled at his sincerity. With the way they were seated, she couldn't help but notice how close his face was to hers. She had a momentary feeling of self-consciousness but willed herself not to look away. This was Castle! She wasn't about to start having butterflies in her stomach. To prevent any awkwardness from happening, she tried to lighten the mood. "I must have looked like a total mess today."

Castle took a sip off his coffee as if to give him time to think. He turned to face her that their faces were only inches apart. "Prettiest mess, I ever did see."

Kate was fully aware of the fluttering in the pit of stomach. Was it just her? Or was Castle slowly moving closer? She bit her lip. He was close enough that she could feel his breath. Was he about to kiss her? Was she about to let him? It was only a matter of seconds before Castle could close the space between them. She didn't have time to think. She was caught in the moment. She parted her lips in anticipation.

Castle took that as consent. His finger found her chin and tilted her head up. She had her eyes closed. He did something neither one of them expected when at the last second, he pulled up and planted a kiss on her forehead.

This was not the time nor place. He wasn't about to take advantage of her vulnerability.

Kate's eyes popped open. She was embarrassed at first, but after she had processed the situation, she was thankful. What would a kiss from him even mean exactly? She was in no position right now to try and figure it out.

"I find forehead kisses help when someone's going through a lot." Castle hurriedly made up.

Kate smiled. "Yes, oddly, that made me feel better." He smiled back at her.

**A/N Leave a review and make my day? :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! :) And for your patience, I give you a long chapter :D**

Chapter 5

This was silly, Kate thought, as she seated herself comfortably by her father's bedside. About an hour ago, Castle dropped her back to the room and bid her goodnight. He said that watching her and her father made him miss his daughter very much. She had failed to conceal her excitement when he asked if it was alright if he came back later that night. They spent the last two hours just talking in that cafeteria. Dozens of people had come and gone but they stayed seated—very closely, Kate made a point to note, there till Alexis phoned her dad. At some point, they held hands longer than they ever had. She bit her lip to prevent a smile when she remembered when he brushed the stands of hair on her face when he insisted she had something in it. The said something was never found. The fluttering hadn't died down from when he kissed her on the cheek when he said goodbye. But what Beckett liked even better was even though they operated more intimately than they ever had in those two hours, it was still the same back and forth banters and jokes between them. He was still the easy-going, fun-loving partner who had been trailing her the past year. It was amazing to her how she could feel embarrassed and comfortable at the same time when it was with him. And the feeling she got- wait a minute. This sounded like she was in love with guy. With Castle, of all people!She concluded only with the same thing that got her obsessing over the issue in the first place—this was silly.

She was brought back from her besotted school girl daydream by a knock on the door.

Beckett practically ran for the door and swung it open. "Hey! That was quick!" She greeted happily but then her face fell.

Josh gave her a quizzical look, "Were you expecting someone else?"

"What? No. Yes. I mean, Hi." She flashed him an awkward grin.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked noticing how suddenly jittery she was being.

"Yeah, sorry." Beckett paused a second to compose herself. A voice in her head kept pestering as to why she was so thrilled when she thought it was Castle and now suddenly acting weird in front of Josh. She desperately tried to push that voice to the back of her head. "It was just a long day." She finally said.

"I see."

Kate's eyes scanned the ceiling which had somehow become so interesting. And then she looked back at Josh whose expression was one of complete puzzlement.

"So, can I come in?" the doctor finally asked tired of waiting to be invited.

"As a doctor or as uhm, as you?" Kate then mentally slapped herself for saying that. To her, Josh looked even more suspicious. But there was nothing to be suspicious about! So maybe she kind of forgot about her boyfriend and was more eager to see her partner. And maybe she was disappointed to find Josh on the other side of the door instead of Castle. Then again, maybe she was the only one over thinking the whole situation. What was even there to think over? Seeing Castle wasn't a crime. She saw him every day for goodness sake! She wasn't supposed to feel guilty over wanting to see him. Right? But that same voice in her head pestered non-stop— why so guilty Kate?

"As your concerned boyfriend. Does it matter?" Josh replied looking more puzzled than ever.

Yup, there it was. The sinking feeling of guilt in the pit of her gut. Josh was only there to make sure she was okay. Imagine how the guy would feel if he found out she hadn't had tiniest thought of him in the hours he was gone.

She managed a shy smiled. "Of course not. Come on in."

"How long has he been asleep?" Josh said lowering his voice in courtesy of the patient.

"About 3 hours now." Kate replied.

Josh checked the stats on the monitor. "His vitals look normal. We can't be sure just yet, but from the looks of it, he'll be just fine."

"That's great." Beckett sighed in relief, "That's really great news."

An awkward silence filled the room which only made Beckett think about how un-awkward it is with Castle, which, in turn, made her feel more guilty.

Josh broke the silence. "So, I actually came over here to ask you out to dinner."

"Dinner? Now? But my dad..."

"I was thinking with him being stable and everything..." Josh looked down at his shoes, "You know what, never mind. I had a pretty long day too, maybe it's best that I head home."

Just then, there came a knock on the door. The door opened slightly and Castle poked his head in, "May I come in?"

"Ah. And of course there's him." Beckett heard Josh mutter. That made her feel terrible. Before the knock in the door came, she was about to change her decision about having dinner with him when she saw how sad he looked when she denied him. Here was her actual boyfriend just wanting to spend time with her, and yet, the second she saw Castle through that door, she was suddenly okay with Josh heading home. But she knew that was a horrible thing to do. The guilt was definitely doing its work.

"Am I interrupting something?" Castle asked without looking her in the eye.

That did it- that made her feel a whole lot worse. The hurt in Castle's voice was unmistakable. She felt cornered by the two important men in her life and then the other important man in her life was not a foot from her lying in a hospital bed. Maybe she should just date Esposito, perhaps then, things would be easier.

Castle knew that look. He watched as Beckett lost herself in thought. He glanced at Josh who looked annoyed. Castle decided not to say anything. It was always better to leave Kate to come to her own conclusion.

"Kate?" Josh probed.

Castle wanted to tell Josh to lay off for a bit but he knew it wasn't in his place. He mused about how for a long time it was only his daughter who could make him behave, and now he found Beckett could do the exact same thing.

Josh snapped Kate out of her trance.

"Castle, can I talk to you for a minute outside?", was the first thing she said, not to Josh's liking. Josh stepped aside anyway.

When they were outside Castle had a smile on his face thinking he had won this round. He was secretly keeping score in his head. He and Josh were tie at the moment, but something in Beckett's face told him he might have to take back the point he just made.

"I feel bad." Beckett started.

"Uhm... Well, your dad is in the hospital, it's expected." Castle answered unsure of where Beckett was going with the conversation.

"I mean, I feel guilty about Josh. I know you don't really see eye to eye—"

"That's an understatement," Castle muttered.

Beckett ignored him and went on, "But he has been nothing but nice to me."

Castle sighed. Beckett took that as a sign to go on. "And this is going to be incredibly inappropriate to ask but—" she paused and pursed her lips. Her eyes wandered as if she were expecting to see something that would help her make her up her mind.

"Look, you can ask anything of me and I'll do it. This is a hard time, and I'll help in any way I can."

"Saying things like that only makes me feel worse about what I'm about to ask of you." Castle urged her to go on. "Josh asked me to dinner, but I don't want to go because my dad will be alone and—" the voice in her head interrupted once more—"and I think I might have very strong feelings for you."

Before she could finish battling with her inner self, Castle butt in, "I'll stay with him. It's not a problem." He cast his eyes downward. "You go have fun with your boyfriend, you need it after the day you've had." When Castle said it, he didn't make it sound like she was a terrible person for asking and Beckett was very grateful for that.

When they re-entered the room, the annoyance of Josh's face had reached an ultimate high. When Kate told him they were good to go have dinner, he was out the door in two seconds. She stayed a while to kiss her dad on the forehead and thank Castle one more time with a hug. The hug lasted longer than it should have but neither of the two seemed to have a problem with that. When the door closed upon her exit, Castle made a move to sit down on the chair beside the bed. He jumped out of his skin when a voice suddenly filled the room.

"Oh thank god, is he gone?" Jim suddenly sat up.

"You're awake?" Castle asked in surprise trying to hide the fact that Jim's sudden movement startled him.

"I've been awake since the good doctor entered the room."

"And you decided only now to make that known because?"

"Oh, because I think he's a tool. Wouldn't shut up when he was prepping me for my room. He's got his head so far up his ass because apparently he's also got a PhD in some nonsense field that I didn't care enough to remember."

"thank god, I thought I was the only one who noticed! I don't even know why Beckett dates that guy."

"Probably because you never had the balls to make your move."

"Wait, I beg your pardon?"

"Come'on son. You don't think I notice the way you look at my Katie?"

"Jim..."

"No,no. Don't 'Jim' me. There's no denying it."

Castle didn't know what to say. He was still getting used to accepting the way he felt about Kate, and here was a man who spotted it in the short span of time they've spent together.

"Richard, don't worry about it. I'm rooting for you."

Castle decided there was no point hiding it. "That means a lot Jim. It really does."

Meanwhile, at a restaurant nearby, Josh and Kate were waiting for a waiter to attend to them. Beckett started feeling more comfortable with him and remembered the reasons she started dating him in the first place. He acted like a complete gentleman the whole way from the hospital. Not to mention he had a cute ass, but that was just a plus. Although, when Josh was speaking to waiter, her mind couldn't help but wander back to Castle despite her best efforts to stay focused on her date. What was it about Castle that made her so attached to him?

"Lobster, fish or chicken?" Josh asked, stealing Kate's attention.

"Huh? Oh, fish." she smiled to indicate she was paying attention and then willed herself not to get distracted.

They chatted about the usual things until their food arrived.

"This looks delicious!" Josh commented before taking in a mouthful of his dish. After a few more bites, he took his table napkin and dabbed his mouth. "Thank god Castle's not here to ruin the moment." He said thoughtlessly.

Kate set her fork down and raised her eyebrow at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" Her voice remained calm. She didn't want to start a fight even if she was genuinely annoyed at what Josh had said.

He kept his eyes on his food so he didn't see the irritated look on her face. "I just mean, well I don't know, I don't get why you can even stand the guy. He always pokes his nose where he's not wanted. And plus he's completely immature. And when is he going to get a real job? Sure he's had some success in the past, but that's probably sheer dumb luck. Personally, I think his books are trash."

It took a lot to remain calm. Beckett grit her teeth but she managed to stay civil. "That's just mean, don't you think? I love his books."

"Of course you do" Josh said in an insulting tone.

"Excuse me?" Beckett was coming pretty close to snapping.

"Come 'on Kate, you two are a little too chummy if you ask me."

Beckett stammered because she knew Josh was right. She said the first thing that came to mind, "I think that's none of your business."

Josh looked up at her annoyed, "I'm your boyfriend. That makes it my business entirely."

Beckett was angry though Josh had a point, he didn't have to be so mean about it. Even though she didn't want to admit it, it was true, especially recently, that she and Castle had been a little more than just friendly with each other.

"It doesn't give you the right to treat him the way you do."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Josh tried to play innocent.

"Oh really? That stunt you pulled this morning? And the way you don't even bother to hide your annoyance when he enters the room. He has done nothing but be civil with you."

"Only because he's trying to get into your pants."

"He's not like that!" Kate defended, recalling their almost kiss in the cafeteria, "Castle is not the kind of guy who would take advantage of anyone."

"Yeah? I bet he's just looking to get some when I'm looking the other way. I know you'd have no objections to that."

That did it. "Well then maybe you should go out with someone you didn't think was such a slut." Kate threw her table napkin down.

"I didn't mean it like—" Josh tried to say but Kate cut him off.

"Excuse me." She said calmly so as to not cause a scene. With that, she stormed out of the restaurant.

She hurried down the street very frustrated. The nerve of that guy! Who did he think he was? She got more angry thinking about it. Her phone kept ringing with Josh's name flashing on the screen. When he wouldn't stop, she put her phone off to be rid of him. She wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now, not after what he had said. She saw the hospital from a block away but decided she should just cool down before facing her father and Castle. She entered the closest coffee shop and gave herself time to process. She stayed there about an hour before she thought it was best to go check on her dad. She also really wanted to talk to Castle to let him know what happened. As to what that would accomplish, or where that could lead to, she was itching to find out. There was a sinking feeling that it would only prove Josh's accusations—but Beckett didn't care at the moment.

She took to elevator to the 5th floor and made her way to her dad's room. Castle was pacing back and forth outside. She knew something was wrong when she saw the look on Castle's face when he saw her approaching.

She ran up to him, her heart racing. He stammered for a moment before finally saying something coherent. "I don't know what happened. I couldn't contact you. I'm so sorry. It was all so sudden. We were talking, and then... and then he crashed or something. I called for help. The nurses shoved me out of the room so fast before I even realized what was happening."

She looked through the window only to see an empty bed. Beckett's throat was suddenly dry. "Is he?" she choked out.

"No, no. He's not. But he hasn't been conscious since. They said they'd run some tests."

A doctor they didn't recognize approached them, "Are you the immediate family of the patient?" He asked Beckett.

"Yes, I'm his daughter. What happened? When I left they said he was stable."

"I'm sorry. There have been several cases where we found patients started to feel better when they're around their family. This psychological feeling of love and belongingness has proved to create a short reprieve from the illness. It is also not uncommon that the initial symptoms return a few hours later."

"Where's Davidson?" Castle asked out of curiously.

The other doctor answered him without looking up from Jim's chart, "He asked to be removed from the case for personal reasons. Shame too, he's one of our best"

Castle glanced at Beckett who gave him an "I'll explain later" look.

The nurse who had been trailing the doctor spoke up, "I'm sorry to bring this on you right now, but we'll need someone to go over the financials. Dr. Davidson said that he'd take care of the finances for this case, I don't know if you noticed that you weren't given a form for billing." The nurse paused feeling embarrassed, "With him off the case, we'll need to know where to make all the charges."

"god, I didn't even think of that." Kate put her hand to her head and breathed deeply. "I'll have to go over his insurance statements. I'm not very familiar with them, but I think—"

Castle put his hand on her shoulder to stop her, "I'm pretty good with those things. I'll take care of it. I'll go look for your dad's contract and I'll set it up."

"Castle—" Castle didn't let Beckett stop him.

"Actually I'll have Alexis do it," Castle joked trying to lighten the mood but Beckett didn't respond. He sighed. "You need to sit down for a second. I'll take care of it, Kate."

"I couldn't let you—" Beckett tried to protest but Castle wouldn't have it.

He stepped at little closer and tried to sooth her by running his hands tightly down her arms. "That's why I'm here, okay? I just need you to be okay."

Beckett nodded weakly. It was cruel to feel relief for your father's safety only for it to be taken so suddenly. Castle pulled her into a hug and her exhausted body limped into his arms. He led her to the bed for her to sit. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He whispered to Kate. He turned to the nurse, "Lead the way."

The emotional roller coaster had finally taken a toll on Beckett. She sat on the bed of her dad's empty hospital bed. It had been over an hour and her dad hadn't returned from all the hospital's alleged testing. Castle hadn't come back yet either. Being alone with her thoughts of worst case scenarios was driving her mad. In the event that something was truly wrong, Beckett told herself she had to be brave in front of her dad. And in any other situation, bravery was not something she found difficult to muster. But not this. Not when it came to family. Her mother was already taken from her. She knew that if something happened to her father, she couldn't bear it—she couldn't survive it. She paced the room, feeling restless. She started cleaning up and arranging even the things that didn't need arranging till the room was spic and span. When there was nothing more to be done, she crumbled against the wall. Then she fell slowly to the floor. She hugged her knees. And she let herself go. The much needed cry finally forced itself out of her.

Castle was right outside when she began to cry. His heart went out to her. God, if he could only share the pain with her, ease her burden, he would in a heartbeat. But he was afraid that if he went over there, the only things that would come out of his mouth were inappropriate jokes and innuendos. He was afraid he'd come in looking like an insensitive prick. Of course, he would never do that on purpose. He was just never very good when it came to dealing with things like this. Most times, he never really bothered to fix anything that was too emotionally purging. Perhaps, that's what happened with his ex-wives. But he knew, as he stood there looking at her while a surge of heartbreaking empathy took hold of him, that Kate Beckett was the exception. He wasn't about to start fooling around with a matter like this. He breathed in, and entered the room.

At first, a million words crossed his mind as to what to say. It took him a minute before he decided it was best to just be silent with her. For once in his life, Rick Castle learned to shut up. He was cautious not to make any sudden movements. He squatted beside her on the floor and put a gentle hand on her shoulder to tell her he was there. Between the sniffles, Beckett managed to look up at him. Now was not the time for defenses. And not since her mother's murder had she ever been so vulnerable. The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak. She surrendered to every feeble feeling that took part in creating a hurricane of emotions inside her.

"Hold me." It came out barely a whisper.

And Castle did as he was asked.

**A/N: I'd be extremely grateful if I could know you're thinking. Leave a review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm sorry this one took so long again. My classes have been pretty hectic. I think they're making us suffer just before the holidays. Haha. This is another long one though **** And again, I appreciate all the reviews :D **

Chapter 6

When she had calmed down, Beckett rested her head on Castle's shoulder. They sat like that for a while. And despite that fact that no words passed between them, it was comfortable. Castle's hand found Beckett's and gave it a squeeze. He stood up and pulled her up with him.

"Go get some sleep. It's getting really late." He said as she got up on her feet.

"He could be back any minute."

"Then I'll wake you if he is."

He led her to the bed. "It's a waste of a perfectly comfortable bed."

Beckett wanted to refuse but her body was saying otherwise. She climbed into bed while fighting to keep her eyelids open. The exhaustion got the better of her and when her head hit the pillow she slipped into a deep slumber.

Castle couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him. He tucked the hair on her face behind her ear and put a blanket to keep her from getting cold. If she didn't go out like a light, she'd have commented on how creepy it was that he was watching her sleep. He pulled up a chair beside the bed. For a while he just sat there admiring her, but the writer in him wouldn't allow him to just sit idly for so long. A couple of minutes later he found himself frantic about losing the ideas floating around in his head that he had come up just with. Annoyed that he didn't take his laptop along with him, Castle decided to do it the old-fashion way. He searched the room of a pen and pad of paper, now ready to finish a novel. When he sat back down, he glanced back at her and had a thought that kept the smile on his face the rest of the night— she really was his muse.

Kate woke to the bright rays of morning that had seeped in through the blinds on the window. She sat up but it took her a second to recall the events of the previous night. She found herself alone in her dad's hospital room. Before she could jump to conclusions, Castle appeared by the door with two Starbucks cups in hand.

"Hey there, sleepyhead" He greeted.

She then felt a surge of embarrassment when she realized what she must have looked like—bed hair, possible drool marks, and crumpled clothes she's had on since yesterday. She made an effort to fix her hair with her fingers, wishing he had arrived just a few minutes later so she had time to fix herself. She then remembered there more pressing matters.

"Where's my dad?" She asked.

Castle walked toward her and handed her a cup. He sat beside her before answering. "They transferred him to the ICU. Since the visiting hours there are from 1 – 4 in the afternoon, I didn't want to wake you." He smiled.

"Oh. Okay." She raised her cup a little higher, "Thanks for this."

Castle raised his cup a little higher too, as if to say it was no trouble. They both took sips of their coffee at the same time, and then both made grossed out faces afterward at the same time as well.

"I think you switched the cups." She said just when he said, "I think I switched the cups." They both laughed and exchanged drinks.

"You take yours with too much sugar. That actually explains that 6 year old behavior." She joked.

"You take yours with too little. Detective Beckett, is that why you're so uptight?" He joked back.

"Well that's just adorable. And you're sure you guys don't have a secret relationship you're keeping from me?" came a familiar voice.

Beckett's eyes flew to her best friend and most trusted medical examiner, Lanie, who was standing by the door with a duffel bag in hand.

"Oh, I also called Lanie to ask if she could pick up a few things at your apartment. I bet you're just dying to get out of those clothes."

Beckett scrunched her face. "Good call." She quickly turned to Lanie, "Can we talk in the bathroom?"

Castle gave her his famous arched eyebrow look. Beckett flashed him a grin, "Excuse us."

She pulled friend into the bathroom and ran straight for the mirror and scrutinized her face.

"Now honestly, how bad do I look?" Kate asked Lanie in a hushed tone.

"What? Why are you whispering?" Lanie asked, completely confused.

"Because he could hear us!" Beckett said still whispering.

"Uh-huh. And?"

Beckett turned on the faucet, "One sec" she cupped her hands together and splashed her face with water. She wiped her face with her hand afterward and stared back at her reflection in the mirror. "He said I was probably dying to get out of these clothes." She turned to her friend, "What do you think he was implying? He must probably think I look horrible and was trying to be nice about it. Oh gosh and my hair is a mess. My breath probably smelled revolting" she exhaled from her mouth onto her hand and lifted her hand to her nose.

"Are you okay?" Lanie asked.

Kate sighed, "I think I might like Castle."

"No, really?" Lanie said sarcastically, "Everyone came to that conclusion long before you two caught on."

Kate buried her face in her hands. "This is bad." Her words were muffled but Lanie understood what she said.

"What are you afraid of?" Her friend offered, seeing that this was definitely bothering Beckett.

"I don't know. We've got such a good thing going. Something like this could ruin it. And it's probably not going anywhere anyway. Liking him would just complicate things."

"You know he's crazy about you , right? Tell me you can see that."

"Yes? No? I don't know. I didn't... I don't want to assume."

"Honey, please. Assume away! You have no idea how many people have been waiting for you guys to get together."

"I just don't know, Lanie. Maybe it's just cause he's been really great throughout all of this. Maybe I am in love with the guy. Or maybe all I need is a shower to get myself thinking straight."

"Okay. But when you do decide, I better be the first to know. I've lost good money on you two!"

"Not so loud!"

Lanie laughed at her friend and left the bathroom only to find Castle right outside the bathroom door.

"So what did you ladies talk about?"

"Lady things. Now, I'd love to stay but I've got to get back to examining dead bodies, tell Mr. Beckett I send my best."

"You won't tell me? Really? A clue, maybe?" Castle pleaded as Lanie walked out the door.

"Not a chance, Castle." She said before disappearing into the hallway.

Castle looked away for a second but his attention was brought back to the door when he heard a knock. The door opened and the last person he wanted to see appeared before him—Josh.

"Davidson."

"Castle."

"Is Kate here?"

"She's taking a shower."

"I'll come back later then." Josh turned to leave but then turned back to Castle. "Listen, man. You have to get where I'm coming from. She's with you all the time. It can make a guy pretty jealous. Tell her I didn't want us to break up. She left so suddenly I didn't get the chance to apologize."

"Wait. You broke up?" Castle asked, he then remembered the look she gave him last night when the doctor told them Josh asked to be removed from the case.

"She didn't tell you? I'm surprised."

"She was pretty devastated about her dad. I let her rest."

"Yeah? Good." Josh paused. "You're really good to her. And I know enough to know not to fight a losing battle."

Castle's eyes widened in surprise at what Josh had said. "Why'd you ask to be removed from the case? That not very doctor-y. I heard you were one of the best." Castle grit his teeth through the compliment. But Josh was actually being nice.

"One of? No, I am the best. I just didn't feel the need to participate anymore. I mean, with the medical attention her dad's going to need? I'm lucky we broke up so I wouldn't have to do it pro bono. Yeah, and since I don't think I'm going to get her back, never mind about that apology. "

And then he was an ass again. "You really are full of yourself."

"Takes one to know one." With that Josh was out the door.

"Asshole." Castle muttered.

Just then he heard the squeak of a shower knob and the disappearance of the sound of splashing water. After a few minutes, Beckett exited from the bathroom dressed in jeans and a form-flattering, grey, turtle-neck sweater.

"Was there someone else out here?" She asked.

"Oh, just a nurse who had some questions. That's all."

"No news on my dad? When do I get to see him?"

"Not for a couple of hours, I'm afraid. Hospital rules."

Beckett nodded and tried very hard to prevent a smile from forming at the thought she just had. She felt guilty about thinking about how she and Castle would pass the time. Her dad was seriously ill, and here she was enjoying the company of the guy who she's just realized she really likes.

"However do we pass the time?" he asked her in a sing-song fashion as if he read her mind or, she thought happily, he was thinking the same thing.

Guilty or not, how could she resist getting the chance to find out just how much she liked him and perhaps, where it would lead to. And plus he always made her feel better with that smile he had— Castle's phone rang, he picked it up without looking at caller I.D, "Castle... Oh. Hey Gina."—he also had a girlfriend, Beckett remembered, giving herself a mental slap for being so stupid.

"Give me a sec." Castle said to Gina. He put his hand over his phone and looked at Beckett, "Do you mind if I take this outside?"

Beckett felt her heart sink. "No, not at all. Why would I mind?"

Castle shuffled quickly out the door. He walked a few paces before settling on one of the chairs that were lined for visitors. He heard Gina go on and on about how this was just like last time and how he'd never change but he didn't bother to listen. When she paused a moment, he hurriedly spoke up, "Look, meet me at my place in an hour and we'll talk." He ended the call before she could refuse. He shoved his phone into his pocket and sighed heavily. "This isn't going to be pretty." he said to himself.

He went back to the room to find Beckett making the bed. "Hey."

"Hey." She faked a smile. "So..." she wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I think I'll go home to get a change of clothes and—" he debated briefly whether to tell Beckett about Gina but decided against it.

"And?" Beckett asked but then wished right away she didn't. She didn't want to seem too curious. His personal life and his relationship with Gina was none of her business, she thought sadly.

"And attend to my parental duties." Castle hurriedly made up. "Will you be okay here? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Yeah, of course. I'm a big girl. I can handle it." she flashed another fake smile.

Castle nodded, "Okay, I'll be on my way."

When Castle got home, he took a quick shower and got changed just in time for Gina to arrive. As he was buttoning up his shirt, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" he called.

Gina crossed the living room to Rick and tried to plant a kiss on the lips, he turned at the last second and let her kiss him on the cheek. She didn't notice his evasion.

"Hey." He said quietly. It wasn't much of a greeting.

She pulled him into a hug and he let her. "I missed you." She said. "I haven't seen you for days."

Castle felt a lump in his throat. He knew what he was going to do. There was no way he could be with Gina when he was dealing with his feelings for Kate. It was unfair. "Can I get you a drink?" He thought alcohol was the best way to soften the blow. And he needed some it himself, too.

"It's a little too early for that, don't you think?"

Castle chuckled. "Must be my mother's upbringing." He joked. "Well, I'll have one anyway. Make yourself comfortable." He walked to the kitchen while going over what to say in his head.

"So how's that 3rd book coming?" Gina asked as Castle was busy searching his cupboards. He had his back to her so she didn't see the smile that had found its way to his lips.

He couldn't help but smile remembering the picture of a sleeping Kate Beckett as he wrote dead into the night beside her. "It's going very, very well actually. I've been writing non-stop lately." He turned with a martini glass in hand, "You sure you don't want one?"

"Positive. Now come here."

He sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. He approached her and she tried to wrap her arms around him again, "I was thinking we could stay in today." She said teasingly with a mischievous grin. But this time Castle gently held her arms and put them back in their place by her sides. "You want to sit down?" He asked, motioning to the couch.

"Why don't I like the way this sounds?" Gina said with some irritation.

Castle took a sip of his drink and set it down on the table. "I can't stay in today. I promised Beckett I'd go back the hospital as soon as possible."

"You spend all day with her, you spent last night with her, and now you're going back?" Gina bit out.

"Gina, her dad's in the hospital. She's in a really bad place right now. She needs someone she can count on..." His tone turned softer and he said, "even if it's just as a friend."

"Really Rick? Are you sure that's all it is?"

He didn't answer.

"Oh." That was all Gina could come up with. The look on his face said enough. They were both quiet for a moment then she finally found the words, "I guess I should have seen this coming."

"Don't say that."

"I learned my lesson. If he's already divorced you, he'll break up with you too." Her tone was verging on unkind.

"I didn't mean..."

"How long?"

"I'm not cheating on you if that's what you're suggesting. You know I'm not that kind of guy. Nothing's happened. She doesn't even see me that way"

"So you're leaving me, again, for someone who doesn't even like you back?"

"Hey, last time, you left me. And it'd be unfair of me to be with you when I know that she's the one I'll be—"

"god Rick, don't even go there. I get it." Gina got up. Despite him breaking up with her, they were friends. They operated better on that level. "Look Rick, at least let her know how you feel. I'm not going to let you break up with me for someone you're too scared to take a chance with."

Castle got up as well to walk Gina to the door. "It was fun while it lasted." He told her.

"This doesn't mean I'll stop calling as your publisher."

"I'll be counting on it. Thanks Gina."

"Goodbye, Rick."

He smiled sincerely. "Goodbye." He closed the door as she walked away. That wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. But it did leave him thinking about what Gina had said. What if he got up the courage and just told Beckett that he wanted to be with her? Maybe something good could come out of it. Upsetting the dynamic of his partnership with Beckett might mean not having her in his life at all. But on the other hand, he knew he wouldn't be able to just trail her around forever. Sure she and Josh broke up, but someday, another guy will come along to sweep her off her feet. He just wished he had the guts to be that guy. Castle reached for his drink he had left on the table and consumed it in one gulp. He looked at the empty glass. "Maybe it is too early for this," he thought out loud.

He heard footsteps coming down the steps. It was his daughter. She came up to give him a hug, "Hey dad. Was that Gina I just heard?"

"Eavesdropping, are we, pumpkin?"

Alexis chewed on her lower lip, "Unintentionally."

Castle pulled his daughter to the couch and kissed her on the head. "I missed you. Don't you have class today?"

"Nope, all our teachers are attending some conference. How's Detective Beckett?"

"She's not doing so well, and neither is her dad."

"Are you going back to the hospital?"

"Yeah, I am. What about you? Any plans with Ashley today?"

"No, he's got a family thing today. Call if you're going to have dinner here or if you'll be spending the night at the hospital again, okay?" Alexis said sounding very much like a mom.

Castle smiled at how his daughter took care of him. "Well maybe we should have a little family thing of our own too. Have some food delivered and pop in a DVD. I can catch up with Beckett a little later. Right now, I want a little quality time with my favorite girl."

"From the sound of that conversation, it looks like you have two favorite girls. Three, including Gram. I honestly don't mind sharing you, dad." Alexis teased.

"You heard that much. Huh?"

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll back you up. But if you want my professional opinion as a teenage girl who has seen enough romantic comedies, you shouldn't keep those feeling locked up."

"Let's hope I'm more apt to taking advice than usual." He returned, grinning.

Alexis shook her head, amused by her father. "So, I'm feeling Chinese, but Italian sounds good too."

"You decide, you know what I like anyway. Go call in the order and I'll let Beckett know I'll take longer than I said."

"All right." Alexis agreed, skipping to the study for the telephone.

Castle fetched his cell from his pocket and rung Beckett's number.

Meanwhile, Kate Beckett couldn't believe what she was hearing from the doctor. Her dad's condition was much worse than initially diagnosed. The doctors said it was an adverse effect of his previous drinking problem coupled with an already weak heart he had since he was a kid. Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy, they called it. That and they also said something about the body's natural decline because of aging. He needed a heart transplant. And the doctors were still debating his position on the donor list considering his old vice. Kate's tears rushed uncontrollably as she kept saying over and over that he had long been sober. She blocked out the doctor's words of apology. Just then, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Despite the intensity of the situation, she pulled it out of her pocket by force of habit. It was Castle. She knew that he'd know she was crying the second she'd speak up. He had done enough already, she didn't want him to feel the need to come to the rescue again. She let it go to voicemail and decided to text him instead.

After a couple of rings, he got her voicemail. His first instinct was to worry. He ended the call without leaving a message. Before he could try calling back, he received a text from her.

_Sorry. can't talk. What's up?_

_You ok? I'm going to have lunch with Alexis. See you later, round 3?_

_I'm fine. Thanks. Take your time._

_Okay. Take care._

Beckett bit her lip at her lie, but who was she to steal his time from his daughter? He had already spent most of yesterday in the hospital with her. And as much as she knew that just having him there would make things a lot easier, it'd be selfish of her to ask that of him.

Castle tucked his phone in his pocket. Beckett said she was fine, but he just couldn't get rid of the worry he had originally felt. Alexis emerged from the study.

"The food will be here in 15 minutes." She announced. She then noticed the distracted look on her dad's face. "Is everything okay?" she asked, worried.

"Huh? Yeah. I think so." He said, the uncertainty evident in his tone. But he flashed a smile to prevent his daughter from worrying. "What do you feel like watching?"

At a quarter to 3, the movie they watched just finished. Castle turned to his daughter who had fallen asleep. He nudged her softly to wake her up knowing that she'd wake up with a stiff neck if he didn't. She mumbled something that he couldn't understand.

"Hey, I'm going to head back to the hospital okay? Go lie down properly upstairs. " he told her.

Alexis said something that sounded like "Okay" and rolled sluggishly off the couch. She walked up the stairs like a zombie and disappeared into her room.

Castle grabbed his coat and his keys and headed for the hospital. On the drive there, he kept thinking over what Gina and Alexis had said. Josh was out of the way. This was his chance. And if she didn't see him in that way, at least he wouldn't be left wondering about all the "What if's". And it wasn't completely impossible that she felt something for him too. He would accept even the tiniest inkling from her toward him if it meant he had a chance. He thought again about it maybe disrupting the way they worked together. But he had a feeling that Beckett wouldn't stop working with him just because he had unrequited feelings for her. She was way more mature than that. And then he thought of how great it would be if she did feel the same way. He suddenly felt a certain exhilaration of the potential. When he arrived at the hospital, he parked and left his car determined to tell her exactly how he felt the second her saw her.

He made his way to the fifth floor excitedly only to find that the room where he left Beckett was now empty. He asked a nurse who was passing where the occupants of the room were. The nurse told him that the daughter of patient gave up the room because her dad was staying at the ICU and the room was an unnecessary expense. Castle then asked if she knew where Beckett was but the nurse had no idea. Castle thanked her and began to searched around the floor hoping to find Beckett, but no such luck.

He went next to the ICU floor but he couldn't find Beckett there either. He tried to get into the ICU but they'd only allow immediate family to visit the patients. He asked if the daughter of Jim Beckett was there, but the nurses told him she left when her dad went back to sleep. He looked in the cafeteria, the chapel, and all the visitor areas but she was nowhere to be found.

Now Castle began to really worry. He tried her cell but there was no answer. He tried the precinct thinking that she went there to blow off steam with target practice. Esposito said they hadn't seen her since she left yesterday. After updating Esposito on what happened the day before, he tried calling Lanie. She didn't know where Kate had gone off to either. He phoned her once more but to no avail. Castle went back to his car and decided he should check her apartment because that was the only place left to look. As he drove there, he kept redialing her number but she still wouldn't answer.

When the building was in sight, he drove faster. He parked and hurried to the door. He asked the doorman if Beckett was home and he said that she arrived 2 hours ago. Castle quickly made a run for the elevator, unable to contain his excitement. He only caught his breath when he was inside the elevator. He recalled all the things he had prepared to say to her. When it signalled he had reached her floor, he stepped out before the elevators doors even fully opened. As Castle stood outside her door, he took a deep breath. When he composed himself, he knocked. There was no answer. He was about to leave thinking she crept into a coffee shop somewhere in the city. He was ready to turn back when heard her call in a singsong voice to come in. He turned the knob , surprised to find it was open.

"Kate?" He called, loving the way her first name sounded as he said it. He wished they'd come to a level of intimacy that made it okay for him to called her that all the time.

He looked around her barely furnished apartment but she wasn't there. "Kate?" he tried again.

She popped out suddenly from behind the couch. "Hey Caaaastle" she said in a singsong tone again.

He smiled thinking she was just being cute. "Hey, I need to tell you something."

"What's thaaat?" she drawled. She wobbled toward him, almost falling over when she neared him.

"Are you drunk?" Castle asked in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" She was now near enough for the smell of alcohol from her mouth to reach him.

She almost fell over again, but his time Castle was close enough to catch her. "Yup, you're definitely drunk." He said to her.

**A/N: Leave a review! :D My break starts in two days so I should be updating faster from now on. But I'll write even faster if you all leave lovely reviews **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm horrible for promising a faster update! But this bit was really hard to write for me. Anyway, thanks for your patience. And this one's a bit short too. But please keep reading :P**

Chapter 7

Castle returned home from his crazy encounter with a drunken Beckett early the next morning. His mom was in the living room going over her lines for an audition.

"What happened?" Martha asked as soon as she saw her son.

Castle sighed at his mother's nosiness, "Nothing happened."

He then heard his daughter's shuffling feet hurrying down the stairs. She still had her pajamas on and nearly slipped as her bunny slippers hit the polished wooden floor when she jumped over the last two steps in excitement. "What happened?" She asked as she ran to her dad.

Castle gave her a "not you, too" look, and said the same thing only a little more exasperated, "Nothing happened!" He paused, "And if it did, I wouldn't tell you."

Alexis pursed her lips and arched her brow very much like her dad. "So something did happen?"

Castle was definitely at a point beyond exasperation. "Seriously! Nothing happened!"

Martha scoffed very loudly catching the attention of the other two. "You're with her every day. You clearly care a great deal for her. You slept in her bed and now you're telling me that nothing happened?" Martha sounded frustrated. "My boy, I think you've lost your touch!"

Castle smirked at his mother's comment. "First of all, I slept on the couch, and second, I've got a book to finish. So excuse me." He retreated into his study hoping to be left alone with his thoughts. He played the last few hours over in his head.

_The smell of scotch was unmistakable. It was really expensive scotch too, the one he bought from late New York's mayor's stash__ and gave to her as present. He eyed the red bottle in her hand; she had already consumed half of it. He tried to help her up awkwardly. She had one arm around his neck, the other extended in the air flailing the bottle. "I can't believe you're drunk. You're supposed to be the adult between us." He said half worried but also half amused. _

"_I hold my liquor very well." Beckett insisted. She pulled herself up by yanking on his broad shoulders._

"_I'll be the judge of that." Castle put his arm securely on her waist. His free hand pulled on hers that was hanging limply over his shoulder to keep her grip on him from slipping. He walked her slowly to the couch._

He checked the clock on the wall. It was a quarter past 6. When he left her place, she was sound asleep. He left a note on her fridge saying that he'd be back just in case she woke up. But that seemed unlikely given her state the previous night. He wanted a warm shower, a change of clothes and time to think.

_He tried to sit her down, but she curled up and laid her head on the armrest instead. Castle took a peek behind the couch where Kate had come out from. On the floor, there was an empty glass with only drips of scotch left at the edges. Beside it, there was her laptop. Rick looked through the tabs she had opened on her browser. There were a bunch of medical sites of transplant success rates and heart surgery procedures. There were ones of inspirational miracle stories of healing. "Oh no." Castle muttered as he realized why Beckett was upset enough to start getting wasted. Beckett poked her head out from the couch when she heard Castle. She pulled herself up. _

"_My dad needs a heart transplant!" She voice was sharp but on the verge of cracking. He got up and sat beside her. Beckett took another swig of the bottle in hand. Castle reached for it but she held it protectively to her chest. _

"_I'm sorry..." _

"_It's not your fault. It's his." _

_He tried to pry the bottle from her hand but she held it even tighter. _

"_You're upset. But this is no way to handle it. You know better than that."_

_She stuck her tongue out at him like a child and took another big gulp. Castle shook his head. _

Castle stepped into the shower and let the water wash all the stress away. The rush of running water helped to re-energize him but he was still distracted. He stepped out in a towel and wiped the mirror for a clearer reflection. He sighed deeply.

"_What are you doing, Kate?" _

"_See how he likes it if I get drunk out of my mind!" She hiccuped which seemed to be incredibly amusing to her and it sent her into a fit of giggles. _

"_You're doing this to get back at him? That makes no sense. What's this really about?"_

"_I'm mad at him!"_

"_No you're not."_

_"He should have thought of me before he drank himself to death! I needed him to be okay. And I thought he was going to be okay. Look what's happened. He's going to die"_

_"Don't say that Kate. He's got a fighting chance. You said so yourself, your dad's a fighter."_

_"He should have been the responsible one. He was the adult."_

_"Grief manifests itself in different ways. It took you a while to stop obsessing about your mom's case."_

_"It's not the same."_

_"I'm sorry, Kate. I wish things were different."_

"_Oh and you know what else? Josh is the best surgeon there. But he wants nothing to do with me! Can you believe that asshole? It's so unprofessional!" She half yelped. And then quieter, she said, "We broke up because of you, ya know!" she chuckled. "Yoooouuuuur faaaauuuuult!" She said in a singsong voice. _

He had been staring unseeingly into the mirror for a while now. He hung on to what Beckett had mentioned. She said it was his fault that they broke up. What did she mean exactly? Did Davidson hate his guts so much that he couldn't stand that his girlfriend was hanging around him. They were only partners, and nothing else, he thought sadly. He suddenly remembered what Josh said in the hospital, "fighting a losing battle". He didn't think much of it then, but now—could it be that Beckett broke up with Josh _for _him? He cursed himself for being hopeful. There was nothing worse than false hope.

_Castle knew that it was the alcohol that took her tact hostage. But it still hurt the way she said it, almost like she was condemning him. But it didn't matter if his feelings were hurt because he was too gripped with guilt. Admittedly, he wanted Josh to go away, but he didn't want it to affect the way Jim was being treated. _

"_I can talk to him." Castle offered. _

"_Nah. He isn't the type to budge." She took another gulp._

_Castle reached for the bottle but she was quicker. "Please stop Kate."_

"_Make me."_

Castle changed hurriedly. He went to the kitchen to find a cup of coffee that Alexis had prepared for him waiting on the counter. She was also making scrambled eggs when he walked in.

"Is all that for me?"

"Yes, now eat up, because I'm going to be late."

"I'll drop you to school on my way to Beckett's"

Alexis gave him a teasing grin, "Back to Beckett's?"

"Yes, and I told you, nothing happened."

"Whatever you say Dad." She set the plate of eggs and a piece of French toast in front of him. "And Ashley is picking me up, he got his license and his dad lent him the car for today." She leaned on over the counter and kissed her dad on the cheek, "I'll see you later!"

"Love you."

"Love you too," Alexis grabbed her bag and was out the door.

Castle finished up his breakfast and said goodbye to his mom. He heard her mocking his  
"nothing happened" statement as he exited the apartment. After stopping by Starbucks to get Beckett a Chicken Santa Fe Panini and coffee, he set in the direction of her apartment. His mind went back to the events of last night.

_She inverted the bottle in her hand and shook it. She laughed again. "No more!" she announced like it wasn't the most obvious observation. She breathed in deeply , pursed her lips together hard, and exhaled forcefully through her mouth. It made her lips vibrate creating a sound much like the distant buzz of a helicopter approaching__."I think I've got vodka in the cupboard."_

_She attempted to get up but lost her balance and fell back on the couch._

"_No way I'm ever giving alcohol as a gift again."_

"_Come sit by me." Kate said as she patted the area on the couch beside her._

_Castle obliged. When he sat down he took the empty bottle from her and set it on the table. Beckett sighed heavily._

"_Always too late." She muttered._

"_Sorry?" _

"_I'm always too late. Too late to stop my dad from drinking. Too late to realize that my mom was in trouble that night. Too late to save the guy who could have led me to the people to ordered her to be killed." _

_She put her feet up and leaned against him. He put his arm around her. _

"_Sshhh. None of that was your fault." _

_She made no reply._

Castle made his way up to Beckett's apartment. He walked slowly because he was pretty sure that she'd still be asleep. He fetched the key he had taken last night from his pocket. He opened the door enough for him to stick his head in.

"Hey Ka—err— Beckett." Somehow calling her by her first name was easier when she was drunk. When there was no answer, he let himself in.

He surveyed the room—it was still in the mess it was in last night.

Castle peeked into the bedroom to check on Beckett. She was curled up with the covers over her head. Castle decided to start cleaning up till Beckett woke up. When he was done, he took a seat on the couch and the flashbacks kept coming.

_He didn't mind that she didn't say anything. He was pretty content with just holding her as she rested her head on his chest. They were silent for a few minutes until Beckett finally spoke up._

"_We would never work out"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You and I, we would never work out. It's kind of sad." _

_Castle debated whether he should pursue the conversation. Some people are found to be extremely honest when they're drunk. Others still manage to keep their defenses up no matter how wasted. He couldn't be sure which one Beckett was. _

Castle heard Beckett groan from the bedroom. He got off the couch and slowly made his way to the door. He didn't show himself right away. He stood by the side of the door, peeking in. He found her sitting up with her hand to her head.

He took a deep breath. "Knock knock." He said. He stepped inside cautiously.

"Hey..."

"god, my head. What the hell happened last night?"

"You don't remember?" He asked disheartened.

"I remember thinking I'd have one drink to ease up. After that, I don't remember a thing." Beckett complained.

"You took a little more than that. Here, drink up." Castle handed her the cup of coffee he had picked up on the way.

_There would never be another opportunity to bring it up. Castle pursed his lips then decided to go ahead with it. He picked his words carefully._

"_I wouldn't say it was impossible."_

"_What?"_

"_You and me, I don't think it's impossible." _

_She adjusted her position so that she'd be facing him. "What are you saying?"_

_Was that expectancy he saw in her eyes? He couldn't be sure. This was definitely not the right time to start a confession. "I just mean, if we wanted, we could make it work..." He lowered his voice toward the end of the sentence._

"_Does that mean you want to?"_

_Castle was going nuts. He wasn't sure how to deal with this. Where was this coming from? Drunk that I'm not myself Beckett or drunk that I'm being completely honest Beckett? He didn't want to say anything yet. Not like this._

"_No, it's—" before he could finish, she cut him off._

"_Oh. Shame" She averted her gaze and went back to leaning her head on his chest. _

_Was that the wrong move? What did she mean? Was she expecting a different reply? Did she want to hear him say he wanted to try to make it work between them?_

"_What if I said I did?" Castle asked, he knew it was a long shot but then what the hell. _

_She looked back at him and smiled. His heart was racing in anticipation. "Then that'd be terrific."_

"_Yeah?" Castle was beaming. But on the inside, he knew there was a chance that is wasn't really her talking._

"_Yeah." _

"You really don't remember anything?" Castle pressed.

Kate took another sip of her coffee. "Not at all." She paused. "Wait, why? What happened?" Beckett started to feel embarrassed. What if she acted like a complete moron? Or worse, a moron confessing her undying love.

"Nothing happened." Castle repeated for the 5th time that day.

Beckett wasn't convinced. Some of her wildest nights were the ones she couldn't remember, but only made known to her by the accounts of her friends who would be making a laughing stock out of her the next day. Nothing happened? Oh god. She did make a complete fool of herself.

"Really?" Kate asked.

"Really. You were a very behaved drunk" Castle said but he had a teasing smile on his face. He knew that would drive her crazy. In the back of his head, he kept recalling what had happened.

"_This is boring!" Kate announced. She got up from the couch and pulled Castle along with her. The sudden movement was too much for her current state and she became instantly dizzy, making her fall over again._

_Castle kept her grip on her so she didn't hit the ground. He pulled her up. "You're making a habit of making me catch you, Kate." He smiled. He wasn't over the initial high of her saying that it'd be terrific if they got together. "You should go to bed." _

"_Castle?" _

"_Hmm?"_

"_Why are you always taking care of me?" _

"_Well, someone's got to. And I'm happy to." _

"_You know Castle," Beckett drawled, "Gina is one lucky girl."_

"_We broke up." _

"I don't believe you." Beckett said sternly.

"You chugged a whole bottle of scotch by yourself. And then you fell asleep."

"And you were here to witness it, because?"

"When I couldn't find you in the hospital, and you wouldn't answer my calls, I came here. Just in time to put you to bed. I slept on the couch in case you woke up all confused in the middle of the night"

"You didn't have to do that."

"It was no trouble."

"A whole bottle huh? That was a little stupid."

"A little?"

Beckett let out a chuckle. "Okay, a lot stupid."

"_When did you break up?" Beckett asked._

"_Just this afternoon" _

"_Why?"_

"_She wasn't the one for me"_

_With each word the pair inched closer and closer. He could smell the alcohol in her breath but he didn't mind._

"_Who is the one for you, then?" Kate asked teasingly as she moved even closer. _

_He wanted to kiss her so bad. Her mouth was so close to his. It only took an inch. All he wanted to do was kiss her at that moment. He bit the inside of his cheeks hard. Castle sighed. It took all his will power but he managed to take a step back. "You really should get some sleep. Come on." He took her by the hand and walked her to her bedroom. _

"So nothing happened? You promise?" Beckett had to be sure.

"Detective Beckett, I'm starting to think you wanted something to happened." Castle smirked.

"In your dreams, Castle."

"Or in yours. Hmm Beckett?"

She shook her head but she was smiling. "Thank you, Castle." Perhaps it was the ounce of liquid courage left in her, but Kate leaned forward and planted a kiss on Caste's cheek. "It was really sweet of you. I really appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet, I've got breakfast waiting for you outside. I'll go get that ready and you get yourself ready, I'll drop you at the hospital."

"Sounds good."

**A/N: I will do my very best to update soon! Perhaps by Christmas morning, as a present for everyone. I WILL REALLY TRY :D please review and make my holiday complete **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Happy New Year everyone! Sorry again for these late updates but I come with the longest chapter I've ever written so far. :D **

Chapter 8

An hour later they were both in the car and on the way to the hospital.

"I'm too old to be having a hangover" Beckett joked.

"Really? I was kind of hoping we'd do a repeat of that, only I'll be as drunk as you."

"Not a chance, Castle." She shot him a mocked glare.

"Why Detective? Afraid something really might happen?" Castle teased, as a smirk played across his lips.

"You might lose the _little_," She began putting strong emphasis on 'little', "self-control you have" She glanced back at Castle matching the smirk on his face, "and believe me, you and me and a bottle of scotch, you will lose it."

"Okay fine, sober's good too." Before Beckett had the chance to reply, Castle spoke up again. "So tonight, then? I'll come by around 6?"

Beckett laughed. "Yeah! Let's do it!" She answered jokingly.

An ambulance then zoomed past them with its siren wailing. Castle glanced at Beckett and caught her face fall.

She chewed on her lip and felt Castle's eyes on her. "My dad needs a heart transplant." She told him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." It wasn't any less disheartening the second time around.

"I'm not even sure if he made it on the donor list. They have some rule about alcoholics."

"An alcoholic needs only to be sober at least a year to make it to the donor list. He's eligible."

Beckett sighed in relief for a moment but then her expression turned sour. "Even then. There must be at least a dozen people above him. What if he doesn't make it till then?" Beckett tried to keep it together, but her voice broke.

Castle took his hand from the gearstick and took Beckett's and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I don't know what's going to happen. But we'll get through this."

We? The thought couldn't help but linger in Kate's mind. It was comforting to know that he was there for her. She tried to smile. "I should really find a way to make it up to you for all this."

"You don't owe me anything, Kate." Castle let the name slip and was suddenly worried about how she'd react.

"But then I want to." Kate smiled genuinely, not only because she was grateful, but also because she loved the way Castle said her first name.

Castle steered the car toward the parking lot when they entered hospital gates.

"I thought you said you were just going to drop me off?" She didn't want him to go but felt it was appropriate to ask.

"Did I say that?" Castle put the gears into reverse and eased into an open parking space. "Nah, I'd rather just stay."

"What about your 3rd book?"

"It's coming together nicely, I've got bits to add here and there, but that's why I brought my laptop along." He reached for his bag in the backseat. "Let's go."

They took the elevator to the ICU. It made a lot of stops as people kept coming in and out. It took the pair a while to reach their desired floor. Castle noticed the anxious look on Beckett's face. He side-stepped closer and put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"We had a disagreement yesterday. I was upset and sort of took it out on him."

"I know that Alexis can do no wrong with me. Not that she ever does anything wrong. My point is, he's your dad. I'm sure he understands."

"I'm scared of losing him. I'm trying really hard not to fall apart here." Beckett confessed.

The elevator dinged and opened to reveal the ICU floor. Castle offered his arm for Beckett to take. "You don't have to try too hard, I'm here, remember?"

Beckett took a deep breath and took Castle's arm. They walked with arms linked toward the ICU unit. They walked right past the visitors' area and didn't notice their friends who were gathered there.

"We came here for moral support, but it looks like you've got all the support you need." Lanie teased.

Castle and Beckett were quick to part arms and looked back simultaneously to see their colleagues, Esposito, Ryan and Lanie, who were stifling their snickers.

"Are you guys together now? And we didn't even get the memo?" Esposito asked pretending to sound hurt.

"No," Beckett said, but Castle said, "Maybe" at the same time.

Castle turned to his friends and said, "Like I'd ever say the words..." Castle glanced at Beckett who was already looking at him "Kate Beckett, will you be my girlfriend?" The look lingered a little longer than it should have, the pair seemingly looking for answers in the other's eyes. Even the trio who were watching could have sworn he sounded completely serious.

Kevin snapped his fingers and pointed at Castle. "Hang on, Castle. I know that look. You spent the night together, didn't you?" He asked tactlessly, being notoriously infamous for not being able to filter his thoughts.

Esposito and Lanie were both shocked at the accusation and there was a momentary silence. Castle was quick to redeem himself. "I don't kiss and tell." He joked knowing it would drive their friends mad trying to find out what happened.

Beckett laughed and couldn't help but join in, "Neither do I."

The looks on their colleagues faces was priceless.

Javier hit Castle's shoulder with the back of his hand, "Bro. Come'on!"

"Girl, you better tell me what's going on." Lanie probed her best friend.

"You three are being ridiculous. But I'm happy to see you." Beckett replied.

The group all chatted for a while till Beckett excused herself to go over some details with the nurses and to check on her dad.

"I forgot they aren't letting me in till 1" Kate came back just a few minutes later looking disappointed.

"In the meantime, we've got a present for you." Esposito took a file out of his bag.

"Double homicide. But one isn't in our jurisdiction. Twin brothers. UCLA kids. One was reported missing a week ago, found dead yesterday in a motel downtown. We called to inform to the family, turns out, his brother was found dead this morning in his dorm room back at UCLA." Ryan explained.

"We need the best." Esposito said.

Beckett grabbed the file and walked with the boys to the nearest set of chairs and asked a couple of questions of her own, leaving Lanie and Castle standing in the hallway.

"Well?" Lanie began.

"Well, what?"

"I've known Beckett a long time. I know every micro-expression there is to know. There's got to be a reason why her eyes are being all happy sparkly. So what is it?"

Castle ignored Lanie's question and asked one of his own. "You think I'd be good for her, don't you?"

Lanie beamed. "I think you'd make her very happy."

"I really like her, Lanie. But I don't want to screw this up."

"Castle, come take a look at this." Beckett called.

Castle smiled, "She calls, and I answer. That's how it works. And I don't mind it one bit."

The group decided to go down to the precinct so Beckett could look at the murder board the boys had set up. Since she wouldn't be able to see her dad till the afternoon, she figured why not try and close a case. There were no witnesses so the first thing they did was pull phone records but there was nothing suspicious. They also interviewed the first victim's girlfriend who had come into the precinct distraught. She said that they ran away together to New York because both their parents didn't approve of their relationship. She told them that her brother found out and came to bring her home but she wouldn't go with him. When her brother tried to grab her arm to get her in the car, her boyfriend took a swing at him and the pair got into brawl. She managed to break it up. Beckett asked where she could find her brother and was sure that she had a prime suspect. But then the girl told them that the reason she wasn't with her boyfriend when he was killed was because she went to her brother's hotel room to talk to him, giving the brother a solid alibi.

With no new leads, Castle and the three detectives went to have lunch at a nearby diner. Esposito and Ryan hadn't touched their food when someone called to say that their victim's dad flew in from California and needed to be picked up from the airport so they had to get a move on. They had their food packed and hopped into their car.

"We've got like 2 hours kill before they'll let you in to see your dad." Castle began once they were alone. "How do we pass the time?"

Beckett took a bite of her garden salad. "Eat slowly." She mocked an exaggerated pleasurable bite the way they do on cooking shows.

Castle laughed. "I take it you're feeling better." He played with the potatoes on his plate before putting one in his mouth.

"Yes, never underestimate the power of an Advil." Beckett laughed as if something just went through her head, "I remember this one time in college, my best friend was throwing this ridiculously huge party for—" She stopped when she saw how intrigued Castle looked. "Maybe that's a story for another time."

"Oh! now that's just mean!"

Kate flashed a teasing smile and took another bite. After a few minutes of Castle prying and Beckett saying no, they spent the rest of the meal talking about the case until a passing van gave Castle a thought.

"Hurry and finish your food. I've got an idea!" Castle urged excitedly. He downed the last of his coke and grinned at Beckett.

She swallowed the last bit of her food and had a sip of water. She raised her eyebrow at him "What are you up to, Castle?"

"You'll see. Come'on." Castle led Beckett eagerly to the parking lot of the precinct and ran up ahead of her to get the car door for her. "I'll bring you to the hospital by one, I promise."

Beckett got in the car and laughed at how Castle ran excitedly to the driver's side.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she put her seatbelt on.

"It's a surprise!"

Beckett chuckled. "Next thing I know you're going to blindfold me." She joked.

Castle revved up the engine, checked his mirrors and put on his seatbelt. "That's a good idea! Close your eyes!"

"You're kidding?"

"Not at all." He turned to her with a childlike glint in his eyes. "Please!"

Beckett shook her head but she obliged. "This better be good," she said smiling.

They didn't drive for very long. Finally coming to a stop, Castle unlatched his seatbelt. "No peeking."

Kate heard him get out of the car and heard her door open. "Can I open my eyes, now?" She asked as she felt his hand on hers helping her out of the car.

"Not yet, almost." He said. Kate attempted to stand up too early and her head almost hit the metal edge of the car but Castle put his hand over her head to block it. "Watch your head now."

"I would, but you won't let me open my eyes." She joked. When she was standing, she heard the car door close and she felt him put his hands over her eyes.

"Walk with me." Castle led Kate to the entrance. They took a few steps and Kate heard the swish of an opening door. He side-stepped but kept his arm around her. "Now open."

Kate opened her eyes, squinting at first as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She laughed. "This is the big surprise? The home depot? What on earth are we doing here?"

"We're going to furnish your apartment!" He said excitedly like it was the most brilliant idea ever conceived.

Castle dragged Beckett to the furniture section and sat on every couch in sight, bringing Kate along with him. They stayed seated on a particularly comfortable one. "I already bought a couch. It's everything else I don't have." Kate said. The cushion was soft and it sank in the middle where they sat, seating them even closer.

An employee approached them with a tag on her shirt saying 'Hi! I'm Jane. How may I help you?'

"Let me guess, newly-weds?" Jane supposed.

Castle and Beckett both looked surprised. Before they could say anything, the chirpy attendant guessed again, "Okay, wait, don't tell me, you're just moving in together?"

Beckett tried to speak up with Jane beat her to it. "Damn. I always get this on the first try. Alright, I've got it! Happily married and looking to renovate?"

Both Beckett and Castle laughed. "I'm sorry, but not even close." Castle said.

"I got a new apartment, and I need furniture." Beckett clarified.

"Oh. Darn it! You guys ruined my streak. I'm pretty good at guessing what couples are here for."

"We're not a couple." Beckett said. It didn't stop her from smiling at the thought though.

Jane's face fell. "Shame, you guys would make an adorable couple." She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I might as well show you all the best deals. Come this way."

They toured the furniture section taking note of the ones that would look good in Beckett's apartment. Castle would comment of the design while Beckett would comment on the prices.

"That, that, oh that one, oh and definitely that one! That red one and that bean bag! Everyone needs a bean bag. All those pieces will look great with your couch!" Castle exclaimed pointing animatedly at each piece of furniture. "We'll have them move the stuff in and then you could have a housewarming party!"

"I don't think so." Kate said hating the way it made Castle's excitement diffuse.

"Why? Don't you like them?" He asked with a slight frown.

"I love them. But that's all going to cost at least my next five pay checks." Beckett said looking at the tag of a nearby bar stool in disbelief. She spotted and walked over to a coffee table and traced the edge with her finger seemingly distracted for a moment. "I think I will take this one though." She said to Jane. "You guys deliver, right?"

"Yes, I'll go check the delivery schedule to find out when to expect it. Excuse me a minute" Jane hurried across the room to a cashier counter.

Kate turned to Castle. "My mom had a similar one." She said pressing her upper lip down and tugging her chin up for a half-hearted smile.

Jane darted back to them with a log book in hand. She flipped through it hurriedly. "They're swapped with deliveries until six tonight."

"That's fine. I won't be home till around that time anyway." Beckett said.

"Perfect!" Jane announced perkily. She handed a form to fill up and walked with her to her counter. Castle followed close behind looking disappointed. Kate handed her credit card to the cashier. "Expect the delivery at around 6:30 tonight?" Beckett nodded.

Jane pointed on spot on the form. "Just write your address there and sign your name over there and great! You're the proud owner a new coffee table!" She scurried off to help another customer.

Beckett checked the time, "We should get back." She told Castle.

He searched his pocket for his keys. "Here , go ahead." He handed them to her. "Nature calls."

A few minutes later Castle came out to find Beckett in the driver's seat. She opened the window and Castle leaned over. "Can you even drive a stick shift?"

"I'm a cop! Of course I can. Okay, I haven't in a very long time. But I'm sure it'll come back to me." She grinned. "Can I drive, please?"

Castle couldn't deny her with that smile. "Fine." He walked over to the other side and got into the passenger seat. "How long ago did you say it was since you drove one of these?"

"When I was still learning to drive and I backed my Dad's Chevy into the garage wall."

"Well that inspires confidence." Castle joked.

"Why do you think I got a bike instead?" Kate revved up the engine only to have to car lurch forward abruptly and come to stop. "What happened?" She asked when the engine died.

"You have to put it on neutral before you start the car." Castle informed, suddenly worried about the safety of his car, and their lives. "Maybe I should—"

"No, no, I got this." Beckett interrupted, starting the car up again looking maniacally amused.

They managed to arrive at the hospital but not without Castle's frantic comments along the way. "See! Now that wasn't so bad." Beckett remarked very pleased with herself. She was just driving into the hospital parking lot.

Castle gulped when he saw a Mercedes in the spot beside the space Beckett intended to park. "Maybe I should park."

"But—"

"It's already 1:30, your dad will be expecting you."

"Fine." Kate acquiesced and stepped out of the car.

Castle slid over to the driver's seat and parked the car. He knew that he wouldn't be allowed into the ICU and that Kate would probably be in there all afternoon, but he wanted to get an update on Jim anyway. They took the elevator the ICU floor and luckily found the doctor who replaced Josh for Jim's case in the elevator with him.

"Hey doctor, I don't know if you remember me but I'm a friend of that tall brunette who's the daughter of one your patients? Jim Beckett?"

"Oh, Yeah. Hello. What can I do for you?" The doctor said shaking Castle's hand.

"I was wondering what was going on with Mr. Beckett. I'm not immediate family so they won't let me in his room." Castle explained.

The doctor looked through the patient charts he had in his hand and found Jim's. He took a second to scan the page and turned back to Castle. "Ah, yes. Well his condition is critical and there's not much we can do. He'll be sent home once he's stabilized and all we can really do is wait for a donor heart. We're convening a transplant panel tomorrow morning." The doctor informed.

The elevator door opened to reveal the ICU floor and both Castle and the doctor stepped out. The doctor went straight into the ICU unit and Castle was stopped at the nurses' station. "I'll only be inside for a minute!" Castle pleaded with the nurse.

"I'm sorry sir, those are the rules." The nurse told him.

"Rick? Rick Castle? Is that you?" a voice from behind called.

Castle turned to find a familiar face he hadn't seen a very long time. "Vince? How long has it been?"

"Like 20 years? Where'd you go after you...uhm... left Browning? "

"Don't worry. You can say it, after I got kicked out? Well, I went everywhere else." Castle joked. "What about you? Look at you in the white coat."

"Man, that was entirely my fault. It was my idea to bring the fireworks." Vince said apologetically.

"Yeah, but I lit them! Don't even worry about it. If it wasn't that, I'd have found something else to get myself booted. I couldn't implicate Mr. Honor Roll." Castle said grinning.

"Well, I still owe you one. What are you doing here anyway?"

"My friend's dad is in the ICU, needs a heart transplant."

"Wait, Jim Beckett? I'm going to be in his transplant panel tomorrow. Then that means that your friend is-"

Beckett timely walked out of the ICU unit and stopped suddenly when she noticed that Castle and another doctor were looking at her.

"Hey," she said to Castle. "I'm going to go get my dad a subway because he doesn't like the food."

"I can go get it" Castle offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it. But Ryan called though. They need a fresh pair of eyes and were wondering if you could stop by the precinct."

"Yeah. Okay. Tell them I'll be there in half an hour."

"Alright, see ya." Beckett said and headed toward the elevator.

Castle eyes lingered at Kate's back as she walked away till his friend interrupted by clearing his throat. "Just a friend, huh Rick?"

Castle smirked, "Not for long." He joked. Vince had no idea how much Castle wished it were true.

Vince's pager went off. "Damn. I've got to go. We should grab a beer one of these days." With that, Vince hurried to the opposite end of the hall.

Castle went back to his car and made his way to the precinct.

Kate put on her pajamas. She was ready to turn in after a long day. It was still early but she figured she should make up for the previous night. She was just about to enter the bedroom when there was a knock on the door.

She opened it to reveal Castle, dressed very dashingly with the infamous red bottle of scotch in hand, standing outside her door.

"It's 6. I said 6, didn't I?"

"I thought you were kidding."

"Oh no, this pin-striped suit says I was being completely serious. "

"I'm in my pajamas."

"I don't mind." Castle flashed her a smile she couldn't resist.

Beckett shook her head. "Come in."

He revealed a brown paper back. "I brought take-out."

"Well then how can I say no? Make yourself comfortable. I'll go change."

"Into a night gown?" Castle joked, but he was actually hoping she'd agree.

"Oh, you couldn't handle that just yet, Castle." She teased. She surprised herself at how flirty she was being, but she couldn't seem to stop.

Kate disappeared into her room. She was frustrated trying to pick the perfect outfit while not taking too much time so it didn't seem obvious that she was obsessing over what to wear. She wanted to go for sexy but not too sexy like she was seducing him. She wanted to show skin but not too much skin that she seemed too slutty.

"And Beckett?" Castle called loudly from the living room

"Yeah?" She answered while deciding between two outfits.

"Did you forget? They're making that delivery at 6:30, aren't they?" Castle reminded.

She finally decided on a printed sleeveless v-neck blouse and grey slim fit jeans. She put them on hurriedly. "Oh yeah! I completely forgot!" Kate said as she exited her bedroom

There was a knock on the door. "Home Depot delivery." The man called.

"They're early." Caste reached for the door, but before he opened it he turned to Beckett. "I went behind your back. I have a surprise." He opened the door and let a group of guys come in with a dozen of new furniture. They kept coming. All the pieces they had picked at the store.

"What's all this? I bought a coffee table." Beckett tried to say.

"I covered the rest."

"Castle, this is too much. I couldn't..." Beckett said feeling very embarrassed at the grand gesture.

"Nonsense." Castle replied

She put her hand on his arm to tell him she was serious. "No, it's too much, Castle."

"Hey, what I'm making from the Nikki Heat books, that's all thanks to you. It's practically your fair cut in everything. Like copyright Kate Beckett." He smiled.

Beckett still had that worried look on her face. "Castle, really."

"Really, really. Look, either you accept or I leave all of this stuff outside. You know I will."

Beckett sighed in defeat and it only widened Castle's grin. "Now, are you ready to make this place look great, or what?"

They spent the next hour having the delivery guys move things around, trying to place things properly, looking for the best positions for all the pieces. When they were satisfied, Kate tipped the delivery guys and closed the door. He surveyed the room and whistled. "Place looks amazing!"

Beckett couldn't help but agree. She loved it even more than her old place. "It does. I cannot thank you enough."

"You can thank me, by celebrating. This is your pre-housewarming party." Castle said lifting the forgotten bottle of scotch from the counter top.

"I won't be drinking scotch for a while. But I think I've got a bottle of wine in the fridge."

Castle went to check and found the bottle already chilled and took it out. Kate searched her cupboard for two wine glasses and set them on the table. She grabbed her corkscrew and handed it to Castle. He uncorked the bottle of wine and poured the wine till the glasses were half-full

"I feel like an alcoholic now! Don't you think I had enough to drink last night?" Beckett asked out of caution.

"That was scotch, this is red wine." When all he got was a smirk instead of a laugh, he added, "Come'on, one glass won't hurt." He lifted the glass for her to take.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, just this one." She took the glass from him and took a sip.

Castle started unwrapping the food bags. "Food's cold." He said disappointed. He took out one of the plastic forks and had a taste. "But still good!" He pulled out a chair of her, "Care to join me?"

Beckett chuckled and took a seat. "Do you spoil all your friends, Castle?"

He pursed his lips and thought a moment. He didn't see her as just a friend that was for sure. "No, not all of them."

The pair chatted non-stop as they had dinner, never running out of things to talk about and to laugh about.

"Oh! You know what I just realized." Beckett said as they were cleaning up. "We took all three meals together, today."

Castle smiled at the thought. "Except breakfast, you ate, I watched."

"That was a little creepy by the way!" She said flicking him with a dishtowel.

"We work together. Eat our meals together. We bicker." Castle mused, and then next thing kind of just slipped out, "We're practically married." He stole a glance at Kate to see how she reacted but she had her back to him.

She turned away from him right away so he wouldn't see the silly grin on her face. She was glad her hands were full or she'd be twirling her hair as well. She bit her lip debating on whether she should say what first came to her head when he said that. She decided to go ahead with it. "Mr and Mrs. Castle." She laughed. When she was able to control her expressions, she turned back, but was caught by surprise at how close Castle was. He took the dishtowel and the glass in her hands and set them down on the table.

"Listen Beckett," Castle began. His mouth was dry and his stomach felt like there was a vortex inside it. But he didn't want to waste anymore time. He was sure about how he felt about her. And after last night, there was a chance she felt the same way for him. "Listen Kate" He rephrased. 

Kate's heart was racing. The look in his eyes was so intense. A look of longing. He called her Kate again. He ran her hand down her arm and finally found hers.

"You know I care about you." Castle took a pause because he was tongue-tied. He pictured himself smoother when he was mulling this moment over in the afternoon.

She felt a lump in her throat when she couldn't find the words in the sudden shift of the mood in the room. She was fully aware of the tight grip on her hand and the closeness of their bodies.

"I thought over what to say before I came here, now I can't seem to remember anything." He looked to the ceiling as if it would jog his memory. "Maybe I should have made note cards." He laughed nervously which was very unlike him. He expected her to say something but she didn't. She was waiting—the curiosity glinting in her green eyes. He cleared his throat. "I'm usually better at this, I promise." He breathed out. "I like you, Kate. I find you...breath-taking." He squeezed her hands. "And I know that you and Josh just broke it off but I realized a few days ago that I've had these feelings for you for a long time." He glanced to his feet and took a breath. "I've loved you for a long time."

Beckett was speechless. Her head was spinning and her heart was swelling up. These were the words every girl wanted to hear from the guy she liked. But her first response, the one she couldn't shake off, was fear. What if it didn't work out? What if she turned out to be another conquest? What if he really didn't have it in him to commit?

Castle sighed. "I probably should have timed that better. It's a little weird to have done that in the kitchen." He smiled at her but she still hadn't said anything. "I hope that's a good kind of speechless."

Kate willed herself to say something but she had no idea how to respond. She wanted to grab him by his jacket and pull him in for a long kiss. She wanted to tell him that she just might be in love with him too. She wanted to tell him that they'd make it work but instead her fear got the better of her and the words that came out were: "Castle. We can't"

Those weren't the words he wanted to hear and it broke his heart. He guessed she was the completely honest type of drunk after all. The way he played it out in his head that afternoon—this was about the time they'd be diving reckless into the couch with lips locked.

"I'd have written this differently if it was up to me, but this is real life."

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Hey, don't apologize." He let go of her hands. "You don't have to love be back, that'd be nice though" he joked to snap her out of seemingly petrified state, "but I can't force the issue"

"Castle. There's just so many—"

"You don't have to have an explanation either, Kate." He smiled but his heart felt like it was road-kill.

She didn't reply. A thought popped in his head and he laughed. "I'm not bribing you with furniture, either."

She laughed as well. "I didn't think of it that way, but oh my god, you totally are!" She joked wanting to lighten the mood. Beckett wasn't sure why she didn't just throw herself at him. She knew she wanted to. Even as she stood there after turning him down, she wanted to tell him she changed her mind and that he should kiss her right now.

"It's getting late, and I promised Alexis I'd be home tonight." Castle said.

They walked together silently to the living room. She got the door for him. Deep inside, Kate wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him so bad but he couldn't bring herself to. He had his foot out the door and was about to walk away. "Caste, wait." Beckett let out when she panicked as she watched him leave. She took a step forward. "I do have feelings for you."

There was that flicker of hope. He turned to face her. She mumbled endlessly "It's just that... I— I...Uhm. You are... This is..."

Castle moved closer. "Ssshh." He tucked a clump of stray hair behind her ear. "You don't have to make a decision right now. I won't hold it against you. I just want you to know how I feel. And when you're ready, I'll be here. Till then, I'll still be here. And if you decide otherwise, I won't go anywhere either."

He leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Good night, Kate."

**A/N: Would you be so kind as to leave a review? **


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm so very sorry for the late update. I was crazy busy. Again, thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts. They really make my day. And I hope you like this one!

Chapter 9

Castle was distracted when he left Beckett's apartment. As he made his way to the elevator, he didn't even notice that he was following the vertical pattern printed on the carpet. He walked with a slouch and had his hands shoved down his pockets. The elevator was empty. Castle looked at the brooding figure of himself in the semi-reflective, murky metal doors. When it opened to reveal the lobby, he stepped out, nodded to the door man and stopped on the sidewalk right in front of the apartment building's entrance. He looked up at what he guessed was Beckett's apartment's window and let out a heavy sigh. He honestly thought this night would end differently. Castle crossed the street to his car and drove home.

"How'd it go?" Alexis perked up as soon as she saw her dad. She was waiting up for him. Her eyes were bright and hopeful.

"Scoot." Castle said and collapsed on the couch beside his daughter. He tightened his lip into a frown and exhaled forcefully through his mouth. "She'll think about."

"What?" Alexis straightened up. "Those were her exact words?" Her brows had furrowed as she questioned her father.

"Well, no. I'm paraphrasing."

"Noooo." Alexis pressed as she shook her dad's arm. "Tell me how everything happened, exactly as it happened!" She scrunched her nose, "But minus the gushy parts."

His daughter listened intently as Castle recounted what happened in Beckett's apartment, only making small comments when needed. She played therapist as Castle told her how he felt about the situation. When he finished, he looked even more down than when he entered the door.

"Well she didn't completely turn you down."

"I guess I romanticized the idea too much."

"Dad, maybe you should try being a little more subtle. You always go for the big things, but Beckett doesn't seem to be the type to go for that."

"But big makes a statement!"

"Any guy can make a statement with a hot air balloon or, let's say, a room full of furniture. But if you manage to make a statement with something so little, it's pretty amazing." Alexis got up from the couch and turned to her dad, "I've got to get to bed. Don't stay up too late." With that, Alexis went upstairs to her room leaving her dad to think about what she said.

Caste stepped into his study. He turned on his laptop but couldn't seem to do any writing and ended up staring at his taunting screen-saver. He heard the front door open and took a peek inside the living room. It was Martha coming home from a late rehearsal.

"Hey kiddo, still up?" she greeted.

"I'll turn in soon. How was your rehearsal?"

"Magnificent!" She set her bag down on the counter, "And, we're sold out for opening night!" she turned to her son who wore a frown. "Well you're a buzz kill. Why the long face?"

"When Chet told you how he felt about you, and you weren't sure about how you felt about him, how big a chance was there for you to just break it off completely?"

"I take it Beckett didn't jump into your arms as planned?"

"You know about that?"

"Alexis filled me in on your plan this afternoon, which I resent, you should have come to me for advice"

This was usually the time Castle came up with a teasing statement about destructive parenting, but he wasn't in the mood. He replied with a half-hearted smile. Martha went on. "I honestly don't know what I'd have decided. But I'm sure Beckett has her reasons. And I'm sure they're good reasons. Right now though, don't you think she's got enough on her plate with her father in the hospital?"

Castle exhaled loudly. "Well I just thought... I don't know, like I didn't want to waste any more time. That with the two years that have passed, I've wasted enough."

They were walking up the stairs together when Martha formulated her reply. "Help her with what's going on. Put your feelings for her aside and focus on what she needs right now. You just might tug on the right heartstrings." Martha gave her son a warm smile and disappeared into her room. Castle took a shower and turned in soon after.

Kate had been lying in bed unable to sleep for the past hour. She thought about what Castle had said finding it hard to remember his exact words—and she wanted to remember them. It seemed like every time she tried to recall what he said, a chunk of it would float away and be replaced by her own version of it. But there was one thing she was sure that he said. And that was that he loved her. Her heart skipped a beat again. It did that every time she thought about it. Beckett pulled on the covers and turned on her side. She stared at the empty space beside her, her bed was big enough for two, which only made think of Castle more. Kate willed herself to sleep because she had to go to the hospital early the next morning. She wanted to be there right when they finished with the transplant panel. She forced herself to keep her eyes closed and eventually drifted to sleep.

The next morning, Kate woke up earlier than she expected so she took her time getting ready. She made herself a nice breakfast and couldn't help but admire the way her apartment looked. She sighed when she remembered Castle and wondered if she would see him today. The transplant panel wasn't scheduled till 10 but she wanted to go to the hospital a little early anyway.

The hospital personnel were already out and about in the halls. She took the elevator to the ICU floor and was surprised to find Castle and the doctor who she saw him with yesterday talking by the nurses' station. She took a moment to compose herself and tried really hard to suppress the silly grin on her face that found its way there the moment she saw Rick. He didn't see her coming but as she approached, she heard bits of their conversation.

"I got to say, I was surprised when you called so late last night." The doctor said.

"I wouldn't have come to collect that favor for the fireworks incident, but these are special circumstances." Castle replied.

Kate cleared her throat to make her presence known. Castle and the doctor both turned to her with looks she couldn't quite peg. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked Rick.

"Just waiting for you." Castle replied with a grin. He turned back to his friend, "So we're good for later?"

"Yeah," he glanced at Beckett and looked back at Castle. "Excuse me, I've got to go on rounds." Vince hurriedly made his way to the elevator.

Beckett thought the two were acting weird but she shrugged the feeling off. 'What's going on later?" she asked.

"Oh nothing, uhm, I've actually got to get going. I just came here to, uh, bring you coffee."

Castle was definitely acting weird and he was stammering more than usual. "Oh, okay. So where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"My coffee."

"I was thirsty. And I drank it."

Kate nodded her head slowly. "Uh-huh."

"Well, I got to go. Say hi to your dad for me." With that, he scurried out of sight.

"Odd." Kate said to herself.

Her suspicions were completely forgotten when her dad came out by himself on a wheelchair.

"Dad! What are you doing up?" She asked, running to him.

"Katie, you're here early. I needed to get some air. I'm well enough to move around."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Come'on Katie, you can come with me if you're so worried. We could share a sandwich out front"

"I don't think they'll let you do that, Dad. Uhm, nurse?" Beckett called and one of the nurses hurried to them.

Before Beckett could speak up, her dad spoke first. "I want to go out and enjoy the outside for a bit."

"Please tell him he's got to go back to his room." Kate pleaded.

The nurse smiled and took a chart from the counter and scanned through it. "It says here he's stable. You're even going to be discharged this afternoon Mr. Beckett, no matter how your panel comes out."

"If that means I can go out and have a sandwich out front, then I'm good."

Kate frowned. "Fine, let's go," She said rolling her dad into the elevator.

When they were seated on a bench outside, Beckett told her dad about what happened the night before and what Castle had said.

"You're not giving him a chance?" Jim asked, trying really hard not to be biased for his daughter's sake.

"I don't know. Just jump from one relationship to the next? And this is Castle, he's... He's Castle!"

"You like him too, don't you?"

Kate sighed. "Yeah, I do. But I don't know dad. I'm scared."

"Now what did your mom always say about that?"

"I don't think she was referring to relationships."

"Fear is still fear no matter what causes it, Katie."

They stayed outside longer than they expected and didn't notice the time pass. It wasn't until the nurse came out and found them "Sir, Miss. You're needed back upstairs."

They went back up to Jim's room to find a doctor waiting for them inside. He had a bright smile on his face.

"Mr. Beckett, we've got good news." The doctor began. "After a very interesting panel this morning, it has been decided that you're on the list for a donor heart."

Beckett couldn't help but tear up because of how happy she was. She gave her dad a tight hug. The look of relief on Jim's face was one for the books. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Beckett said.

The doctor handed Jim a beeper. "Keep this with you at all times. When it goes off, it means we've got a heart for you."

Jim looked at the black gadget in his hand amazed at how something so tiny was an extension of this life line. "Thank you, doctor."

"And right now, you're stable, so I don't see a reason why you can't just go home." He took Jim's chart and signed his name at the bottom. "You ask the nurses what else needs to be done but on my end, you're good to go."

The doctor excused himself and left the room. Jim turned to his daughter. "You know how we should celebrate, Katie? By having your housewarming party tonight! There'll still be plenty of time to prepare" Jim suggested.

"Are you sure you're up for that, Dad?"

"I've got a heart beeper now, I'm up for anything!" her dad replied excitedly.

"I don't know..."

"I've been cooped up in here long enough. Let me have a little fun. You can just have your closest friends over. A dinner party won't be very exhausting, I assure you. Now skedaddle out of here and let's get me discharged!"

Beckett shook her head. Once her dad put his mind to something, there was no changing it. "You win. We can have a housewarming party. You get changed, and I'll sign the forms." Jim beamed and she couldn't help but laugh. This was the picture of a supposedly sick man.

As she was about to leave the room, Jim spoke up, "You should call Castle. I'm sure he'll love to hear the news."

"You really like him, don't you?"

"He reminds me of my dad." Jim confessed.

Beckett laughed. "Funny, that's what I told him."

It took a while to get everything together, but by 1 in the afternoon, Beckett was by the nurses' station finishing up the discharge procedure. She had turned to walked back to her dad's room but then she couldn't help but overhear what a group of health workers were discussing excitedly. She slowed down when bits of their conversation caught her attention. They were talking about Castle

"Yeah! The author Rick Castle! He gave this grand speech during a transplant panel and got the patient on the list when the panel had already decided against it." Kate's lips parted in surprise at what she heard a nurse say. She pretended to busy herself reading a poster on how to stop the spread of germs that was across the nurses' station so she could eavesdrop.

"I thought he was already eligible?"

"Yeah, but they take into consideration survival chances and state of health."

"I heard that he blew the panel's mind away. One of the attendings actually teared up!" said the other nurse.

An intern joined in the conversation "I was there and I was this close to giving him a standing ovation. That man has a way with words."

"Must be some girl, huh?" the first nurse added.

"Girl?" the other one clarified.

"Yeah," the intern explained, "I heard from Dr. Taylor who went to school with Rick Castle that he's doing it for the daughter of the patient who he's really into."

"Lucky girl." The second nurse commented.

Beckett bit down on her lip hard. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her heart swelled up at the thought. He was amazing, and he loved her. What the hell was she waiting for?

She hurried to the end of the hall because no one was there. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialled Castle's number.

"Hello, Detective Beckett, to what do I owe the pleasure for your phone call?" Castle said on the other line.

"I've got good news! But I'll tell you tonight." Beckett said, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

"Tonight?"

"I think I'm going to have that housewarming party you were talking about. And I was hoping you could tell the others? Just our little group— Esposito, Lanie, Ryan and tell him to bring Jenny. The captain and of course Martha and Alexis can come too."

"Do you need any help preparing?" he offered.

"I got it covered. Just tell them around 7?"

"Okay, I'll see you tonight."

"See you." Beckett hung up. She bit her lip still unable to contain her high spirits.

Beckett spent the afternoon getting everything ready. When Jim would try to help, she'd sit him down. The most work she'd let her dad do was wipe dry the silverware. When her mom passed away, she had to learn to do all the household things by herself. It was the time her dad was struggling with alcoholism so Beckett had to take care of herself. The result was that Kate could make a mean dinner. Her dad managed to convince her that setting the table wouldn't give him a heart attack and she finished cleaning up in the kitchen. It was a quarter to 7 and she was just about ready. She wasn't worried about her guests showing up late and the food getting cold because the thing with cops was they had to be punctual. Castle was another story though. She caught herself getting giddy at the thought of him again. It wasn't like her to be so swoony over a guy and she had already decided that afternoon that she wasn't just going to throw herself at him. She liked taking things slow. But she definitely had something planned.

Exactly as the clock struck 7, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Detective Ryan and his fiancée. He had his arm around her and Kate couldn't help but smile at the scene. Jenny handed Kate a box of gourmet pastries. "I wasn't sure to bring, so I settled to bring dessert. Kevin said he didn't get to ask if we should bring anything because it didn't occur to him." The girls both snickered at Ryan who seemed clueless.

"Thank you! You didn't have to. Come on in."

"Place looks awesome, Beckett!" Ryan commented.

Jim appeared from the kitchen and greeted them. "Kevin, Jenny, This is my dad, Jim. Dad, Detective Ryan and his fiancée Jenny" Beckett introduced.

"Nice to meet you. Glad to see you're out of the hospital." Ryan said, shaking Jim's hand. Jenny smiled sheepishly and shook Jim's hand as well.

Before they had a chance to sit down, Esposito and Lanie arrived together at the door. Ryan and Beckett both gave them teasing looks.

"What? We met on the way up, that's all." Esposito defended.

"Didn't ask, bro." Ryan replied.

"Lanie, is there something you're not telling me?" Beckett teased. This was her payback.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lanie insisted, stealing a glance at Javier.

"Oh, by the way, captain said he wouldn't be able to make it tonight." Esposito informed trying to change the subject.

"Shame, neither can my mother and daughter." Castle appeared at the hallway suddenly taking everyone, especially Beckett, by surprise. He had a bottle of wine in his hand. "Let's get this party started." He glanced to the side and smiled at the sight of Jim. "Hey! You're okay! How did everything go? What did the panel decide?"

Jim pulled out his beeper from his pocket and showed it to Castle, "This trinket here will tell me if my heart's available."

"That's great, Jim. I'm really happy to hear that."

Beckett rolled her eyes at Castle playing dumb. No one noticed though. Everyone settled into the dining table and commented on how good the food smelled.

The group chatted happily as they had their dinner. They poked fun at Esposito and Lanie who kept denying their accusations. They teased Castle and Beckett who handled their accusations much better than the other two—partly because they both secretly liked it. Kevin and Jenny discussed their wedding plans with them. And Jim shared his favourite stories about the teenage Kate. When they had finished with the main course, Kate excused herself so she could go get the dessert from the refrigerator.

"Hey hostess" Castle said, suddenly appearing from behind her. He had his hand strategically positioned at the small of her back. She fought to remain composed. "I've got a present for you."

Beckett turned abruptly to face Castle. He was as close as he was the night before. Castle revealed a nicely wrapped box he was hiding behind his back.

"What's this?" Kate asked in surprise. He was thoughtful, she loved that about him.

"Well, I feel pretty useless not being able to do anything to help you with what's going on—" Castle started to say, but Beckett cut him off. Did he really think she wasn't going to find out about what he did for her and her dad? And here he was playing innocent.

"Are you kidding? Castle, you've been nothing but helpful. In fact, I should be ashamed of how much of your time I've—" Beckett was cut off as well.

Castle put his finger on her lips, and grinned, "Let me finish, Kate." She raised her eyebrows to tell him to go on.

"I thought this would help you get your mind off things, so you'd stop worrying so much." Castle handed the gift to Beckett. "Go on, open it."

She ripped the wrapper to reveal a think ream of paper bounded together at the edge with a see-through plastic cover. "What's this?" she didn't wait for an answer, she was engrossed and started flipping through the pages. She answered her own question. "I didn't know you finished the 3rd book!" she exclaimed.

"It's the final draft. I'm supposed to show it to my publisher first, but I thought you needed it more, as long as you don't spoil its contents to anyone else."

"Thank you, Rick."

Castle smiled. "Don't mention it."

Beckett was going to take the opportunity to tell him that she knew about what happened in the panel when they heard their friends teasing.

"Now we know what Beckett means by 'get the dessert', huh guys?" Lanie teased loudly.

Ryan joined in, "Did you see how fast Castle got up from his chair to get Beckett alone?"

Everyone was laughing and Beckett and Castle couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Leave it to them to make dessert sound kinky." Castle joked.

"Yeah, I think I just heard Esposito say 'quickie' " Beckett shook her head.

"I think your dad even joined them."

"Well that's a little awkward to be completely honest." Beckett said but she laughed it off. They heard their friends laugh loudly at something Jim said that they couldn't quite hear.

"And they haven't even started drinking. Now I'm a little scared." Castle said.

"We should get back before their imagination gets even wilder."

"Let me help you carry that." Castle said as she took the box of dessert from Beckett.

They walked back to the other room and the laughing died down.

"We can hear you, you know."

"That was our intention." Lanie replied with a wide grin.

"You guys completely ruined our moment back there." Castle said jokingly which created even more teasing.

"Now, let's not draw the focus out of Lanie and Esposito who arrived together tonight." Beckett teased.

The group continued their little get-together in the living room. Esposito, Ryan and Castle had a contest on who could best impersonate Montgomery. They were all happy to get a break from the macabre of their jobs. After a while, Jim excused himself, saying that he should get home. Kate insisted that he stay the night, but Jim wouldn't have it. When Jim was saying goodbye to Castle, he whispered something to him, "Hang in there, I've got a feeling she'll let you in sooner than you think." Castle smiled widely. Usually, impressing the dad came after getting the girl, but he had that covered.

"What did he tell you?" Kate asked when Jim had gone.

"Oh, guy stuff."

"You have 'guy stuff'? You talked like once!" She joked.

"Your dad likes me!"

"That remains to be seen."

The hours rolled on and there was never a dull moment. Javier and Lanie were seated beside each other, thinking that their friends didn't notice that they were holding hands. Jenny and Kevin were snuggled close on the other end of the couch always whispering things to each other. Castle and Beckett were fully aware of the lovey-dovey feel of the room. Castle casually got up and took a seat beside Kate like it was the most normal thing in the world. He could have sworn she scooted closer when he did. After a few glasses of wine and a lot of great conversation, Castle checked his watch and stood up.

"I've actually got to head out. Alexis is at her friend's birthday party and I told her I'd pick her up by 11."

"I'll walk you out."Kate blurted out. Their friends all exchanged eager looks that they didn't notice.

They two exited the apartment into the deserted hallway. "This was really fun." Castle said.

"Yeah. I'm glad I decided to go ahead with it."

They were both quiet for a while. "Uhm, so, good night?" Castle finally said.

"Rick..."

"Yeah?" Castle held his breath. Maybe Beckett changed her mind about him suddenly.

"I overheard a few nurses talking about something earlier today, about what you did for my dad."

"Oh." Castle looked down at the floor. "I didn't really want you to find out about that."

Beckett looked perplexed. "How come?"

"Nothing, it's silly."

Kate took his hand briefly, "Come 'on."

"I want you to love me for me, not for what I do for you, if that makes sense."

"That makes perfect sense."

"I'm just glad I could help. Jim deserves it. And it was worth seeing that smile on your face when you were told."

"You were there?"

"Yeah, I hid in other room when you came out."

"And that phone call?"

"I was on the floor below you."

Beckett laughed. She looked at him and suddenly turned serious. "You know the things you do reflect who you are."

Castle was trying to read Beckett but he couldn't. She then stepped closer and his heart began to race.

She tiptoed and leaned toward him and planted a soft kiss his lips. Before she lost her self-control, she pulled back. She knew that if it was any longer she wouldn't be able to stop.

Castle, to say the least, was an experience man. But that single short-lived kiss made him feel far more captivated than sort of intimacy he's ever been with anyone else. When Kate pulled back, it left him aching for more. But he didn't push his luck.

She smiled at him.

"Was that a pity kiss?" He asked, not knowing whether he really wanted to know the answer. She already knew how he felt about her, and although she didn't give an ideal response, they weren't acting awkward around each other. Here she was kissing him, even! All he had to do was wait for her to be bold enough to take the chance with him. And for Kate Beckett, he was willing wait.

Kate pursed her lips as she thought. "It was a thank you kiss. "

"Ah."

"Maybe even a little more than that." She bit her lip "But it's a kiss none the less." She flashed him a smile that tugged at his heart.

He nodded. "You know I'll take what I can get. "

"I should get back to playing hostess. Or they'll start making jokes again." She changed the subject because she couldn't quite figure out how to reply to what he said.

"Yeah. Go ahead."

She turned to go back inside and then stopped to look back at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"I'll show as long as you'll allow me to." He said sincerely.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow."

A/N: Comments, Suggestions and violent reactions? :D


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know I'm completely evil and it's been over a month since I last updated. School has been so hectic and it has been hard to manage my time properly When I'm in the mood to write, I've got a ton of things to study for. When I get a day to myself, the creative juices don't flow because I'm exhausted. Okay, now I'm just ranting. This chapter isn't very long either. **

**Chapter 10**

When Castle arrived at the precinct the next morning, he didn't go straight to the chair that he had claimed as his own beside Beckett's desk. He saw that Beckett was engrossed in a file in her hands. Instead, He ducked into one of the rooms adjacent to the area where all the detectives' desks were cramped together. He couldn't help but keep his gaze on her. As a writer, Castle always enjoyed observing people. It enabled him to better describe them when he put them into writing. And Kate was one of his favorite people to observe. Her shifts in expression were tell-tale signs of exactly how she was feeling. But what made her an excellent cop was that when needed, she could hold a straight face no matter what the situation— that made her so great at poker too.

"You know, most guys would just ask the girl out." Ryan, who appeared out of nowhere, told him.

"Yeah bro, that's a little stalker-y." Esposito, who was right behind Ryan, joked.

"Whatever, Lanito!" Castle retorted

"What?" Javier asked completely confused.

"It's what we call you. Lanie and Esposito, equals Lanito. Clever, huh?" Ryan answered, incredibly amused.

"Nothing's going on with us!" Esposito's voice came out more high-pitched than he meant.

"If you say so," Castle poked the detective on his chest and mocked him, "Bro"

"You got one too, Castle." Ryan added.

"Huh?"

Ryan smirked. "Caskett. Castle, Beckett."

"Caskett?" Castle quirked his eyebrow

"It was either that or Bastle." Ryan then suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed upward excitedly. "Oh! I got a one! Kate and Rick! Kick!"

"Don't be stupid." Esposito hit Ryan on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

"Shut up, Lanito!"

"Whatever, Bro."

Castle shook his head and he watched the pair argue as they walked away. When he turned back to Beckett's desk, she was gone. He scanned the room quickly but there was no sight of her.

"Looking for me?" Beckett called from behind.

"No." The smiled on his face betrayed him. "Maybe," he finally let out the chuckle he'd been stifling.

Kate matched his smile with one of her own. She squinted a little and darted a teasing look at her partner.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I was. Good morning" Castle greeted as he handed Beckett her coffee.

She took it from him taking full notice of how their fingers brushed together, "Morning."

"Do we have a case?" He asked, hopeful. He wanted a legitimate reason to trail her all day.

"Yeah, Lanie just called. Follow me."

As they made their way to the parking lot, Kate spoke up. "So I was reading the first few chapters last night"

"Yeah? How do you like it?"

"Nikki is a little too slutty and Rook, well, he's Rook." Kate replied plainly.

Castle frowned, expecting a better reaction. He then noticed the turn of Kate's lips upward into smile. "I loved it."

Castle laughed, "Super fan!"

"You wish."

"Oh, I know. Castlelover123"

Beckett rolled her eyes, "I'd never make that my user name." She then bit her lip when she realized what she let slip.

"A-ha! So you do have one?" Castle probed eagerly.

Kate changed the subject quickly enough. "I realized that this was the 3rd book, meaning, one more, and your contract ends." The topic came to her so suddenly because she was thinking about it all morning.

Castle noted the sadness in her voice. "Don't want to see me go?" He teased to cheer her up. He nudged Kate softly with his elbow.

They stopped in front of Beckett's car. She waited for Caste to walk over to the passenger's side before she answered him. "No, I don't." They stared at each other for a long time before Kate cleared her throat and looked away smiling. "We should get going."

She drove out of the parking lot but at their first turn, they met a stoplight. Castle spared no time for small talk.

"Listen Kate, Will you go out with me?" He kept his gaze on Beckett, eager for her response.

Beckett chuckled at Castle's sudden proposal, "You realize we practically date 24/7. I'm with you all the time"

"Yes, but I've never actually asked you out like this." She didn't get the chance to reply when he leaned closer and added, "Besides, how am I going to change your mind, if we don't change things up a bit?"

Kate looked the other way trying to hide her broad grin. She tightened up her lips together but the second she turned back to meet his eyes; she couldn't stop herself from smiling again. "Yeah, let's do it."

She was still looking at Castle that she didn't notice the traffic light change.

"Hey, green light!" Castle pointed out, and Beckett focused back on the road and stepped on the gas.

"You're going to get us killed, Castle." She joked.

"Why? Am I distracting you, Kate? I hope you don't mind me calling you that."

Kate kept her eyes on the road but she could see the smirk on Castle's face. She'd never admit it but she thought those were adorable. "No, I don't mind."

"Good."

"Castle, what do you think we'd even talk about on a date?"

Castle put his thumb under his head and tapped his chin with his index finger. "I guess all the same things we talk about during the day."

"Murderers, motives and alibis?"

"I guess that wouldn't be very appropriate date conversation. Oh! Let's have a 'no case talk' rule."

"Oh but remember that time we were at that restaurant? When you went out with number 3?"

"And you went out with that puppy-saving fireman?"

"Yes, that time. Lanie told me that a friend told her that the guy thought I was workaholic because all I could talk about was the case with my partner at the next table who didn't pay much attention to his date either" Beckett caught her breath. "All we could talk about was the case."

"You know what I remember about that night?"

"What?"

"Being with you, at Remy's."

Kate forgot the road for a second and turned to Castle with a smile. "Rick…"

"Hey, red light!" Castle called out.

Her attention went straight back as she pulled on the brakes.

"Don't you arrest people for reckless driving?" Castle couldn't help but taunt.

"Shut up, Castle."

There was a moment of silence but just as the light turned green, Castle spoke up again. "Oh, you know what? We should just start like right now!"

"What?"

"Like start our date , _right _now. Like this minute." He explained excitedly.

Kate didn't look at him but Castle saw that she wasn't buying the idea.

"I'm serious." Castle looked at his watch, "In 3, 2, 1, now— we're on a date!"

Beckett stole a glance at Castle and looked back at the road. She laughed at how his eyes lit up with excitement. "Okay, if you say so." Beckett replied but not sounding very convinced.

She made a right and pulled up in front of an old bar. She nodded to acknowledge Lanie who watched as they drove in. Kate looked to Castle as she unlatched her seatbelt "Crime scene, how romantic." she joked.

"We're trendsetters. Crime scenes will be the new walk on the beach."

"Yeah. Like that's gonna happen."

"It'll be just for us! Like an inside joke."

Beckett shook her head, amused. "Well then let's get this date started!" She and Castle both stepped out of the car and walked over to Lanie, snickering the whole way there.

"What are you two smiling about?" Lanie asked upon noticing the pair approach.

"Inside joke." Castle said and looked to Beckett for a laugh but her smiled had already disappeared as she examined the body. It was sprawled awkwardly in the alley beside the bar.

"What do we got?" Kate asked in complete seriousness.

"Female, mid-20's. Blunt force trauma to the temporal, which is our cause of death" Lanie used a pen to point out the gash that was now covered with dried blood. She moved her pen toward the victim's torso, "And bruises on the chest, probably to finish the job." She stood up from her crouched position and mimicked a kick to the victim's chest. "From the angle it seems like the victim fell over, and then our killer beat her when she was already on the ground.

"Crime of passion?"

"Could be. Killer was definitely enraged by the looks of it." Lanie replied.

"Time of death?" Beckett inquired.

"I'd say about 10 – 12 last night."

Ryan and Esposito came out the back door of the bar after interviewing employees and stopped in front of them.

"The vic is Sasha Kingsley, 26. She was an old bartender here, about six months ago, she quit. The first time she came back here to visit was last night. Other bartender said she was going to meet with an old friend but he doesn't know who. The owner said he saw her leave with said friend at around 10." Esposito began.

"She still got all her jewelry, got her cell phone and wallet." Ryan added.

"And the friend?" Kate asked.

"Whereabouts, unknown." Esposito told her.

"Employees can't I.D him either. It was someone they've never met before. The bartender described him as a tall white male with blonde hair," said Ryan.

"A regular also commented that the pair were acting very intimately and seemed in a hurry to leave," Esposito supplied.

"How does a former bartender afford Harry Winston jewelry?" Castle suddenly says. The group looked at him and he went on, "That necklace she's wearing. I bought Gina the same one. That's over, uhm... well, it's pricey."

"Well let's find out. Have CSU come down here to look for prints. And let's inform the family and have them come into the precinct. " Kate walked back into the car and Castle followed close behind.

When he caught up and walked beside her, she spoke up. "Expensive jewelry, huh?"

"I spoil my ladies." Castle said smugly just to see how Beckett would react.

She shot him a look that was momentarily irritated, but then she quickly looked away appearing nonchalant.

Castle stifled his laugh. "That was a long time ago. I've got my heart set out on someone else, now." He kept his gaze on her as they walked waiting for her to respond.

A tiny smile played on Beckett's lips and she turned to Castle, "Yeah? And how's that coming?"

"Well she agreed to go out with me so I take that as a good sign." Castle told Beckett just before running up ahead to get the car door for her.

"A perfect gentleman."

"I've been known to put my best foot forward when I'm trying to impress someone."

When Kate was seated, Castle closed her door for her and ran to the other side. As soon as he settled in his seat, he beamed at what he heard Kate say: "It's working."

"Where to now?" He asked.

"Back to the precinct."

"Not normally where I'd take a girl on a first date but okay."

"What happened to trendsetting?"

"I want to amp up the romance a bit, so sue me." Castle glanced at Beckett with a smile but noticed a faraway look in her eyes as she stared blankly outside the window. "What are you thinking about?"

She turned to him with her expression still seeming trouble, but she managed a shy smile. "Nothing, it's just that there's romantic about telling someone their daughter was murdered."

Castle grabbed Beckett's hand when she was about to reach for the shifter. "If it were me, if I had to hear news as terrible as that, I'd rather hear it from you. What you do, Kate, everything that you do for these families is amazing. Maybe we can't bring the people we love back, but knowing why they were taken from us, having someone to blame, it makes coping a whole lot easier."

"You always know just what to say, Castle."

"It's the one thing I can do. I'm able to play with words so I might as well put it to good use. My novels don't touch lives the way you do. They are there to amuse and then left on the shelf to be forgotten."

"And you, Castle, never give yourself enough credit. Your novels touched my life. Don't forget that."

A smile crept onto Castle's lips. "We'd be good for each other, Kate."

She laughed at Castle's sudden comment. She revved up the engine and turned back at him, "Yeah, I think so too."

**A/N: I didn't plan to end this chapter here but I thought a short update was better than nothing. I can't promise a quick update. I've got final exams coming. Last day is March 19, So after that, I will update more frequently. Also, I want to do their whole "date while on the job" thing well, so I'd rather not rush it. I'd appreciate it if you kept reading :D Please review **


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